VIJAYAWADA : Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy unveiled the 206-foot tall Dr BR Ambedkar bronze statue at Swaraj Maidan in the city on Friday. The spectacular laser show and a captivating drone display organised to mark the inauguration of the Ambedkar Smriti Vanam Project left the crowd in awe.
Thousands of people participated in the Samajika Samatha Sankalpa Sabha organised at Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium on Friday to mark the inauguration of Ambedkar statue.
The colossal 125-foot bronze statue of Ambedkar installed on an 81-foot high pedestal of Kalachakra Mandala Buddhist architecture looks imposing. The laser show with colourful showers and intricate lighting continued for approximately 30 minutes, creating a visually stunning tribute to the architect of Indian Constitution.
Following the laser show, a captivating drone display unfolded, showcasing colourful shapes and images in the dark sky. From Ashoka Chakra to the map of India and Andhra Pradesh with its 26 districts, Prakasam Barrage on River Krishna and the BR Ambedkar image, the drone show highlighted the essence of the occasion.
The giant statue installed in a sprawling 18.18 acres at a cost of `404.35 crore is the first of its kind in the world as the precincts consist of a musical fountain, 2,000 capacity convention centre, food court, walking track and children’s area. The Ambedkar Smriti Vanam also consists of a detailed Ambedkar Experience section that depicts the life and times of the visionary.
The pedestal consists of ground+ two floors with the ground floor having four halls, with one of them being a cinema hall and the rest having digital museums detailing Ambedkar’s life.
While one of the four halls on the first floor is dedicated to display Ambedkar’s attachment with South India, two of them are earmarked for the museum and the fourth one is used as library.