Telangana CM unveils 125-ft-tall Ambedkar statue in Hyderabad

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao unveiled a 125-feet-tall statue of Dr B R Ambedkar near Hussain Sagar Lake on Friday.

The ceremony coincided with the 132nd birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar, one of the greatest social reformers.

Besides campaigning for Indian Independence, Ambedkar fought against the evils of the caste system, helped uplift the Mahars and Dalits against the discrimination they faced.

The iconic structure will be India's tallest statue of Ambedkar, affectionately known as Babasaheb or known as the 'Father of Indian Constitution'.

With an overall height of 175-ft, including a 50-ft-high circular base, the structure resembles the edifice of Parliament of India.

Notably, the 125-feet-tall statue of Ambedkar is built by renowned sculptor and Padma Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar and his son Anil Ram Sutar.

The father-son duo, also designed the world's tallest statue - the Statue of Unity (597 feet) of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat.

The iconic statue was built at a cost of Rs 146.50 crore and the construction was taken up by KPC Projects Limited as per the agreement concluded on June 3, 2021.

The Chief Minister had said that the India's tallest statue of Ambedkar, which is next to the State Secretariat, opposite to Buddha statue and located beside the Telangana Martyrs memorial, will inspire people every day and motivate the entire State administration.

He made it clear to the Ministers and officials that the unveiling ceremony of the Ambedkar statue should be held on a grand scale and the entire Telangana people and the country celebrate the occasion in a big manner.

It took at least two years to finalise technical and manufacturing measures since the decision was taken by KCR to erect the statue of Ambedkar. He had praised the sculptor 98-years-old Ram Vanji Sutar for making such a big effort. The government will be inviting Sutar, a Padma Bhushan awardee and honour him.