A gigantic statue of Jesus Christ is under construction at the Southern Brazilian city of Encantado, and it is going to be taller than its famous counterpart Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.
Dubbed as “Christ the Protector”, the statue is being built by a Brazilian organization called the Friends of Christ Association (AACristo). Made of steel and concrete, the statue will be 43 meters or 141 feet tall, 16 feet taller than Rio’s Christ the Redeemer.
The statue under construction in Encantado will be the third-tallest statue of Jesus Christ in the world, the organisation said, only behind the 249-foot statue currently under construction in Mexico and a 172-foot monument in Poland. The statue is the work of sculptor Genésio Gomes Moura and his son, Markus Moura. Though the construction of the statue started back in 2019, the head and the arms of the statue were installed only recently. However, the organisation believes the construction will be finished by the end of this year.
The project is being funded by donations from individuals and companies. The cost of the project is pegged at $353,000, and AACristo is seeking donations to finish the project. An elevator installed inside will take tourists to a lookout at the height of Christ’s heart.
Read- How the Statue of Unity proved naysayers to be 2700% wrong
According to head project supervisor Artur Lopes De Souza, the viewing gallery at the heart of the statue will be a glass opening from where people will be able to film and photograph the breathtaking views of the valley. The primary aim to come up with a new statue in Southern Brazil is to boost tourism in the country which is largely restricted to the northern and eastern region. The project is intended both to inspire faith and encourage tourism to the area, its promoters say.
For more than 90 years, Christ the Redeemer statue looking down on the city of Rio de Janeiro has been one of Brazil’s most famous tourist attractions.
