Symbol of serenity

This Easter Sunday, our columnist shares the wonder of a magnificent work of Christian faith in Brazil. I FELT a chill and started to tear up uncontrollably when I reached the statue of Christ the Redeemer last weekend. The aches and fatigue from my 28-hour flight to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, disappeared when I came before the breathtaking figure. Standing 38m tall on top of the Corcovado Mountain, the statue is a symbol of Christianity, with Jesus Christ appearing to open his arms wide to embrace the entire city below. In fact, the left arm points to Rio de Janeiros north zone, and the right to the south.

The Christ the Redeemer statue exudes a powerful spiritual force. Photo from new7wonders.com One of the nuns tied a blue string with a gold plated pendant of Virgin Mary on my right wrist as well as on a few other devotees and left. Pilgrims interpreted my connection with the statue as my having received divine blessing and have been freed from all challenges and sufferings. The statue was first proposed on top of the Corcovado in the 1850s by catholic priest Pedro Maria Boss and through donations, construction on the large landmark started in 1922. It was completed in 1931 at a cost of US$250,000. The original design of the statue was by a man named Oswald. He had designed it to have a globe in one hand, and standing on a pedestal symbolising the world. This design was not agreed on. Then, the idea of having the statue with wide open arms was made by Heitor da Silva Costa. The idea was further created into form by French sculptor Paul Landowski. The brilliance of its engineers was revealed when it was struck by lightning in February 2008 during a 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. The reason it was built was to show that Christ loves all.! On July 7, 2007, it was honored as one of the new Seven Wonders Of The World. My sacred journey was made possible courtesy of Singapore Airlines which now flies three times weekly from Singapore to Sao Paulo via Barcelona. I have visited many other powerful spiritual sites of different faiths but my experience at this sculpture was astounding and diverse. Property owners in Rio pay a premium price for houses and apartments facing the Redeemer because they want to view its holy beauty constantly. Each glimpse of the religious symbol invites a moment of contemplation on the healing power of spirituality, as well as the dominance of powerful religious bodies. Undoubtedly, the iconic statue gives everyone who visits it a strong sense of achievement and fulfilment. Vasthu talk The columnist will present a talk on ancient Indian secrets and Vasthu Sastra tips on May 1 at 4pm at Seminar Hall, Wisma MIC, Jalan Antah, Seremban. Admission is by contribution of RM10 to the Seremban Hindu Society of Health Services. To register, call 012-329 9713. Chief News Editor T. Selva has spent years researching and writing about the ancient Indian science of construction, better known as Indian feng shui. He is the first disciple of 7th generation Vasthu Sastra Master Yuvaraj Sowma from Chennai, India. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, usefulness, fitness for any particular purpose or other assurances as to the opinions and views expressed in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses suffered directly or indirectly arising from reliance on such opinions and views.