Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao last week unveiled the 125-ft tall bronze statue of BR Ambedkar in Hyderabad, to mark the 132nd birth anniversary of the architect of the Indian Constitution. The statue in Hyderabad is India's tallest statue of Ambedkar.
The unveiling ceremony was held on a grand scale with arrangements in place to ensure that over 35,000 people from all 119 constituencies attended it. As many as 750 state-run Road Transport Corporation buses were being operated for the public.
The statue stands next to the State Secretariat on the banks of Hyderabad's famous Hussain Sagar lake. KCR held a meeting recently with his ministers and other officials to discuss the inauguration of the statue. There, it was decided that flower petals would be showered from a helicopter on the statue.
Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar was invited as the sole chief guest at the event.
Food was also arranged for the people who came to the assembly complex within 50 km before reaching Hyderabad. Sweet packets, butter milk packets and water packets were made available for the public.
KCR had earlier praised the sculptor, 98-year-old Ram Vanji Sutar, for making a big effort on the statue. The government will be inviting Sutar, a Padma Bhushan awardee, and honour him.