Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue

Gurita Wisnu Kencana statue

The 122-metre (400.3 ft) (total height including pedestal) statue of Garuda as the vahana of Vishnu
Location in Indonesia
Coordinates	8°48′50″S 115°10′01″E / 8.813951°S 115.166882°E / -8.813951; 115.166882Coordinates: 8°48′50″S 115°10′01″E / 8.813951°S 115.166882°E / -8.813951; 115.166882
Location	Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park, Indonesia
Designer	Nyoman Nuarta[1]
Type	statue
Material	copper and brass sheet, steel frame, reinforced concrete core
Width	66 m (217 ft)
Height	122 m (400 ft)
Beginning date	1993[2]
Completion date	31 July 2018
Opening date	22 September, 2018
Dedicated to	Garuda and Vishnu

Gurita Wisnu Kencana statue (also Gurita Vishnu Kencana statue and GWK statue) is a 122-meter tall statue located in , Bali, Indonesia. It was designed by Nyoman Nuarta and inaugurated in September 2018. The total height of the monument, including the 46-meter base pedestal is 122 m (400 ft). The statue is about 30 m (98 ft) higher than the Statue of Liberty, but Liberty is tall and thin, while Garuda is almost as wide as it is high — its wingspan is 64 m (210 ft). The statue was designed to be Indonesia’s tallest statue, and is inspired by a story that finds its roots in Hinduism about Garuda's search for Amrita, the elixir of life. According to this story, Garuda agreed to be ridden by Vishnu in return for the right to use the elixir to liberate his enslaved mother. The monument was completed on 31 July 2018 and inaugurated by Indonesian President Joko Widodo on 22 September, 2018.^[3][4]It is the tallest statue of a Hindu deity and the tallest statue in Indonesia.

History[]

It took twenty-eight years and around $100 million to build the statue. GWK was designed back in 1990 by Nyoman Nuarta under the auspices of then-Tourism Minister Joop Ave, Energy Minister Ida Bagus Sudjana and Governor of Bali Ida Bagus Oka.^[5] The groundbreaking event of the statue’s construction took place 1997. In the late 1990s, the project was brought to a sudden halt by the combining force of the global economic crisis.

Construction resumed in 2013 after a sixteen year hiatus, when property developer PT. Alam Sutera Realty Tbk (ASR) agreed to financing the construction of the statue and the project.^[6] The idea for the monument was not without controversy; religious authorities on the island complained that its massive size might disrupt the spiritual balance of the island, and that its commercial nature was inappropriate, but some groups agree with the project, because it will be a new tourist attraction.^[7]

Fabrication and dimensions[]

The statue was assembled in Bali from 754 discrete modules that were constructed in Bandung, West Java and then transported to the work site. The modules were cut into 1,500 smaller pieces to accommodate the cranes maximum load. The last piece that was placed onto the gigantic artwork was at its tail, which is located at the highest point of the statue. ^[8] Garuda's shape is so complex that engineers have designed special joints in the supporting structure, with up to 11 enormous steel girders coming together at the same point, whereas normal construction joints have four or six girders. The Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue is designed to withstand storms and earthquakes, and expected to last for the next 100 years.^[9]

The completed monument is about as tall as a 21-storey building. It weighs 4000 tonnes, making it the heaviest statue in Indonesia. The artwork is made of copper and brass supported by 21,000 steel bars, 170,000 bolts. The statue is made of copper and brass sheeting, with a stainless steel frame and skeleton, as well as a steel and concrete core column. The outer covering measures 22000 m² in area. The crown of Vishnu is covered with golden mosaics and the statue has a dedicated lighting arrangement. The sculpture sits atop a building base which will function as a restaurant, museum, and viewing gallery.

See also[]

• List of statues by height

References[]