VIJAYAWADA: Come April, the Kanaka Durga Varadhi junction in the city is set to get a complete makeover as a massive Dharmachakra will greet the people who would pass by the area. The Amaravati Development Corporation Limited (ADCL), which has taken up the works related to the Chakra under the Vijayawada Redevelopment Project, has roped in experts from Kurnool, who would carve the stone structure.According to available information, the Dharmachakra, which symbolises the dharma of Buddhism, will have a 40-feet radius. Officials said that the landscaping works had already begun for the same.
“The massive stone is being readied by experts from Shilpakala Mandiram in Nandyal. A prototype has already been showed to us and we have asked them to ready the Dharmachakra by the end of March or early April this year,” a senior official of ADCL told TNIE. The corporation is spending around Rs 6 crore on the project, which also includes development of greenery in the area. Once ready, the Dharmachakra is expected to stand as one of the iconic structures of the city, as it is located at Varadhi, which would serve as one of the entrances to the capital. It is known that the State government has named the capital Amaravati, considering the Buddhist heritage of the region.
Under the Vijayawada Redevelopment Project, ADCL will also develop a crafts bazaar, along the length of Samba Murthy Road on the Ryves Canal bund. It will be modelled after Necklace Road in Hyderabad. “The plan is to have a statue between every two shops. It will be along the lines of the Tank Bund area in Hyderabad. We have already invited tenders and the works will begin in a month or two after the contractor is finalised,” another official said.
Other developmental works would include a scrap park, which will have a water fountain and a video wall, at the Police Control Room junction; another park near the ghat road of Indrakeeladri, which houses the Kanaka Durga temple; landscaping of the Gunadala hill; and greenery development between Ramavarappadu and Executive Club junction. “The aforementioned initiatives are in various stages of development. We plan to complete these by the end of this year,” the officials said.
A look at redeveloped vijayawada
n Noted film art director Anand Sai has designed the Kanaka Durga Varadhi junction
n The greenery at the Varadhi will have royal palm and phoenix palm trees along with Ficus Panda and Clerodendrum plants
n The 2.8 km stretch between Ramavarappadu junction and Executive Club junction will have greenery developed along with a walking track, sitting benches and lighting
n Under the Vijayawada Redevelopment Project, the ADCL will also take up canal front beautification along all three canals in the city - Ryves, Bandar and Eluru canals
n The Rajiv Gandhi Park development programme is also part of the city redevelopment project
n The ADCL has already developed the Pavitra Sangamam area in Ibrahimpatnam