The Andhra Pradesh government will unveil the world’s tallest statue of BR Ambedkar, known as the architect of the Indian Constitution, today in Vijayawada. Standing 206 feet from the ground, the ‘Statue of Social Justice’ statue will be on the list of the top 50 tallest statues in the world, which Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s ‘Statue of Unity’ tops. The second-tallest Ambedkar statue, which is 175 feet, is situated in neighbouring Telangana.
“The 206-foot Mahashilpam of Ambedkar erected by our government in Vijayawada is a symbol not only for the state but also for the country,” Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Last year, the tallest Ambedkar statue outside India was unveiled in Maryland, US. Dubbed ‘Statue of Equality’, the statue is 19 feet tall and was built by sculptor Ram Sutar, who also built Sardar Patel’s statue.
Features of the ‘Statue of Justice’
- The world’s tallest Ambedkar statue stands 125 feet tall and stands on an 81-foot pedestal.
- The project to build the statue incurred ₹404.35 crore, and it is spread over 18.81 acres of land covered in a lush green park.
- From sourcing raw materials to designing, the statue was built under a complete ‘Made in India’ project. Around 400 tonnes of steel went into making the ‘Satue of Justice’.
- The area surrounding the statue, along with the Swaraj Maidan, where it was built, has been redeveloped. Water bodies in the forecourt, a three-sided peripheral water body for the pedestal, and a musical water fountain were built in the area.
- LED screens have been set up to display Ambedkar’s life; a convention centre of 2,000 seating capacity; a food court of 8,000 sq ft; and a children’s play area were also built at the site.
