Hyderabad: KCR to unveil iconic Ambedkar statue today

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will be unveiling the 125-ft tall statue of B R Ambedkar in Hyderabad on Friday, the birth anniversary of the architect of the Constitution, on a grand scale.

India's tallest statue of Dr BR Ambedkar will become the new icon of the city and will give a new experience to the visitors.

A pre inauguration visit to the programme site by Hans India on Thursday gave a glimpse of what was in store for those who would be visiting the place. Special arrangements for presenting audio-visual clips on the life of Baba Saheb has been made in the hall beneath the statue. The entrance of the iconic statue is a circular-based building like India's Parliament building.

The first floor would have museum and photo exhibition. The statue has been installed on the top of the museum. The premise has two elevators for visitors to reach the topmost part. The height of the pedestal is 50 feet and the diameter is 172 feet. The built-up area of the pedestal structure is 2,066 sq ft on the lower ground floor and 15,200 sq ft on the ground floor. Apart from a museum and gallery exhibiting important life events of Dr BR Ambedkar special landscaping and greenery has been designed in 2.93 acres.

It has parking area where 450 cars can be parked. The statue was designed by artist Ram Sutar. It took one year to make the statue and six months for fixing all the parts. The cost of the project is Rs 146.50 crore, which has over 300 tonnes of steel and 100 tonnes of bronze. There would be no entry fee, officials said.

The statue will be an inspiration to the future chief ministers who will be working in the nearby Secretariat. A public meeting would be held at 3 pm adjacent to the statue. Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar will be the chief guest at the event. About 40,000 people including intellectuals, Buddhists and others would be participating in the unveiling of the statue.