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| Ambedkar's 125 feet tall statue in Hyderabad |
On Friday, the 14th of April, a 125-feet tall bronze statue of Dr BR Ambedkar was unveiled on the banks of the Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad. The unveiling ceremony was held on the birth anniversary of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar also known as ‘Babasaheb Ambedkar.’
The tallest statue of Dr BR Ambedkar in the world was unveiled by the Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao, in the presence of Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar, state ministers, and top officials. As Buddhist monks chanted religious hymns, floral petals were showered on the statue from a special helicopter. The event was attended by around 40,000 people from all over the state.
The statue has been built adjacent to the newly constructed
Telangana Secretariat, which has been named after the chief architect of the
Indian Constitution. A total of 360 tonnes of stainless steel was used in the
armature structure of the statue, and 114 tonnes of bronze was used in its
casting process. The 98-year-old Ram Vanji Sutar from Maharashtra, a Padma
Bhushan awardee, sculpted the statue. The statue has been built on a 50-feet
high pedestal with a ground floor measuring 172 feet and terrace of 74 feet. At
the event, the Chief Minister and Prakash Ambedkar also visited the museum and
gallery that showcased the life of the late leader. Additionally, a special
audio-visual on the construction of the giant statue was screened.
In 2016, on the 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar, Chief
Minister KCR had announced that the state government would install a 125-feet
tall statue. The government constituted a committee to collect relevant
information, and in 2018, Design Associates were appointed as consultants for
the project. They prepared two alternative designs, and the Chief Minister
approved the circular-based option similar to the Indian Parliament. In 2020,
the government sanctioned Rs 146.50 crore for the project, and the work was
entrusted to KPC Projects Limited, Hyderabad. An agreement was signed on the
3rd of June 2021 for a stipulated period of 12 months.
The project has been built on an area of 11.7 acres, with the
monument building comprising a museum and gallery that exhibits the important
life events of Dr Ambedkar. It also has landscape and greenery on 2.93 acres,
and parking provision for approximately 450 cars. The total built-up area of
the monument building is 26,258 square feet. The construction of the statue has
provided a boost to the tourism industry in Hyderabad, which has been hit hard
by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected to attract a large number of visitors
and generate revenue for the state. The statue is a tribute to the legacy of Dr
BR Ambedkar, who dedicated his life to the upliftment of marginalized sections
of society.
