Oh, you want more-itius Big Things from around the world? Here’s a really stat-huge one hidden within the gorgeous Black River Gorges National Park, on the island paradise of Mauritius!
The world’s biggest statue of Hindu goddess Durga took six years to complete and lives above the pristine Grand Bassin crater-lake. As the official Big Thing consultant to the Mauritian Government, I oversaw the closing stages of construction in 2017. As you can see, Durga’s beauty radiated through all those metal poles. Thankfully, there’s nothing scaffolding her back now!
The 33-metre icon was unveiled later that year to much fanfare. Thousands of Hindus and Hin-don’ts joined together for a multi-day celebration of this a-Maa-zing sculpture. Some were there for religious reasons, but I assume most were Big Thing fanatics there for a Ghandi. Sorry, I mean a gander!
Weighing in at a svelte 400 tonnes, Durga Maa is accompanied by a handsome lion to symbolise her courage. Mangal Mahadev, a similarly-sized statue of Shiva, is Bigging it up just a short stroll away. There are also a number of other enormous effigies of gods lurking around the park.
These Hindu figures are in the middle of nowhere, so you might want to hire a rental karma for the trip. And don’t worry, whilst Durga is obviously armed, she’s not dangerous!
Hindu yourself a favour and visit Durga Maa!
