Christ The Redeemer Statue on Corcovado Mountain
Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. The statue is 120 ft tall and has a weight of 635 tones. It is
now a part of the new Seven Wonders of the World. It is located in the
Corcovado Mountain which is at a peak of 700 meters i.e. 2,300 feet in
the Tujuca forest National Park overlooking the city. The statue is made
of concrete and soapstone. As a symbol of Christianity, it has become
an important icon of Brazil, with Jesus Christ appearing to open his
arms wide to embrace the entire city below.
 |
|
Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. The statue is 120 ft tall and has a weight of 635 tones. It is
now a part of the new Seven Wonders of the World. It is located in the
Corcovado Mountain which is at a peak of 700 meters i.e. 2,300 feet in
the Tujuca forest National Park overlooking the city. The statue is made
of concrete and soapstone. As a symbol of Christianity, it has become
an important icon of Brazil, with Jesus Christ appearing to open his
arms wide to embrace the entire city below.
It was in 1850’s when for the first time it was suggested to make the
statue of Christ on the top of Carcovado by a catholic priest called
Pedro Maria Boss. The request of the finance was sent to Princess Isabel
to build this huge religious mountain. Initially, the idea was not
thought to be a very good one. It was only in 1921, when a need and a
proposal of a large landmark were thought about and finally the statue
was made by the catholic Circle of Rio.
 |
|
During this time, in order to gain more publicity, a group organized
an event for a week where donations were taken from the public and
signatures were taken for those who were in favor of the making of the
statue. Most of the donations came from the Brazilian Catholics. A lot
of suggestions were given; some suggest that the cross of the Christ
should be represented along with Christ, or an idol of Jesus with a
globe in his hands. But finally, a statue of Jesus with open arms was
chosen. Construction of this religious symbol took nine years to
complete, beginning in 1922 and ending in 1931. The brilliance of its
engineers was revealed when it was struck by lightning in February of
2008 during an electrical storm. Several trees were felled by that
storm, but the statue was left unscathed, owing to the fact that it was
made with a top layer of soapstone, which is a good insulator.
Traveling to Christ The Redeemer
Devotees flock to the site to get a sense of the peace and hope it
provides, and ordinary tourists approach it to appease their curiosity
regarding the spirituality that this statue evokes on most people. Once
in Rio, you could get a taxi that will bring you straight to the top of
the mountain where Christ awaits. But if you want to take a more scenic
route, then you need to go to Rua Cosme Velho 513 to purchase tickets
for the train that will take you uphill.
No comments:
Post a Comment