Ambedkar statue in Hyderabad: Constitution book takes ‘birth’ before its ‘father’

HYDERABAD: Close to attaining its full facial features, this imposing structure is going to have the world in awe as the newest symbol of Telangana’s pride from April 14, 2023. The much-awaited day is just over a month away for the 125-foot-tall Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar statue to be unveiled to the world. Coming up in the close vicinity of Telangana’s new Secretariat in Hyderabad – incidentally named after the same iconic visionary – the statue is slowly but firmly gaining its muscle, tonne by tonne with each passing day.

The statue, perched on top of a circular edifice resembling the Indian Parliament complex in New Delhi, will stand 175-foot-tall in overall height once it is completed. In a funny yet heartening observation, the ‘Father of the Constitution’ will be ‘born’ in totality in the Deccan city only after the ‘birth’ of his brainchild – the Constitution of India.

As part of the toe-to-top construction of the gigantic statue, the contracting company was so far able to meticulously erect Dr Ambedkar’s boots, trousers and a portion of his blazer which forms part of the trademark imagery of the iconic leader. And the latest to take shape, well before the leader’s head, is the book, perceived to be the copy of the Indian Constitution, in his left hand.

The distinctive look, pending finishing touches, of the ‘book-in-the-hand’ signature posture of the iconic leader has become a sight to behold for passers-by on the Necklace Road abutting the Hussain Sagar Lake in the last few days.

The circular building shouldering the mammoth statue will also feature a museum, library and an audio-visual hall over a sprawling 20,000 sq.ft area as part of the design to promote various high points of Dr Ambedkar’s life. The ambitious project is being executed at an estimated cost of Rs 146 crores in 11.4 acres between the new secretariat premises and the NTR Garden and will be unveiled to the world on April 14, 2023, coinciding with Dr Ambedkar’s birth anniversary.

The ambitious venture, touted as the pet project of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), is being constructed by KPC Projects Limited. The Hyderabad-based company is incidentally also involved in the execution of a similar project in Vijayawada under the aegis of the Andhra Pradesh Government. A 125-foot-tall Ambedkar statue is being erected at the Swarajya Grounds in the heart of Andhra Pradesh’s commercial capital.

For the Hyderabad statue, the company is using about 111 tonnes of bronze to cast the outer cladding, covering a strong inner foundation of non-corrosive stainless steel framework and heavy concrete mix. The statue was designed by renowned sculptors Ram Vanji Sutar and Anil Ram Sutar. The father-son duo also have another precious feather in their fabled cap – the 597-foot-tall statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as the Statue of Liberty, in Gujarat.