As Andhra Pradesh gets set to lay the foundation for its new capital city, Amaravati, on the auspicious occasion of Dasara on October 22, here’s a graphic account of the history, scale and scope of the ‘Abode of the Gods’ and arrangements underway for the mega spectacle
Stage Set
36 blocks at the venue, each can accommodate 4,000-5000 people
11 ft high dais erected for the main programme
Pooja place will be on one side of the dais; on the other side will be water and earth brought from different villages
Yagasala will be located north of the main dias; PM will be welcomed with Poorna Kumbham in traditional manner; he will proceed to the Yagasala to make offerings
A film on Amravati and CM Naidu’s vision for the capital likely to be screened
Rs 10-cr Deal Dropped
Though the preparation of the main venue, including stage decoration, was entrusted to Mumbai-based event management company Wizcraft for Rs 10 crore, following criticism, CM Naidu entrusted the same to the administrations of Krishna and Guntur districts
Seed Sown for a World Class Capital
Singapore presented the seed capital master plan to AP in Rajahmundry on July 20. The last of the three-stage master plan for the capital.
As per the master plan, Amaravti will be developed as a smart, green, sustainable city and people’s capital
The seed or core capital is meant for three lakh residents. Seven lakh jobs likely to be crated. The area of the seed capital is 16.9 sq km
Zones in the seed capital comprise central business district, residential township, parks, gardens, water bodies and so on
Transport hierarchy, comprising integrated network of metro rail of 12 km, bus rapid transit of about 154 km, down town road of 7 km, arterial roads and sub-arterial roads of 26 km and collector roads for 53 km, envisaged in the capital area
Walkways and pedestrianisation and walk to work environment too part of the capital
Iconic buildings to include a state-of-the-art government complex, city gateway, cultural centre and convention centre
Innovative waste management systems to be in place
Seed capital area to be implemented on PPP mode.
Singapore of India
CM Naidu is thinking of constructing the capital on both sides of river Krishna. He wants a “Greenfield Capital City” with six-lane roads and underground cabling system
Naidu made up his mind to set up a long garden along the Krishna to beat the famous Brindavan Gardens
Important buildings like Assembly, Secretariat and Raj Bhavan would be constructed within the core capital area of 7,500 acres
World largest ring road with a radius of 180 km will be constructed around the capital region
According to the blueprint, the capital, which will rise on the banks of the Krishna between Vijayawada and Guntur, besides being the seat of power, will be a commercial hub for industries
7,068 sq km Extent of the metropolitan region of the capital city
4,000 acres will be reserved for parks to make it compete with Lutyens Delhi
374 sq km Extent of the Greenfield capital city
1.3 cr Population expected in capital region by 2050
60 lakh Anticipated work force in the capital region
$30 billion Projected investment in the new capital in the next 10 years
Buildings of Assembly and Raj Bhavan to be architectural monuments
Ultra-modern facilities such as skyways, integrated fly-overs, high-rise towers, besides modern bridges across the River Krishna to promote tourism
Where Past Meets The Present
Coming up on the Krishna river bank, the new capital has been named after Amaravati, an ancient town of the same name located 35 km from Vijayawada
The ancient town derived its name from Amareswara Swamy Temple one of the Pancharamas in South India. The town and the neighbouring Dharanikota were once the Delhi of India, between 2nd century BC and 3rd century BC during the rule of the mighty Satavahanas
Amaravati continued to be the capital of many Andhra dynasties until the Mogul conquest
It was also a famous Buddhist centre By naming the new capital after ancient Amaravati, AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu is keen on invoking the Telugu pride and attract investors from East Asia, using the Buddhist connect
Remember The Time
Foundation Stone for Amaravati will be laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 22
Muhurat for the grand event fixed between 12:30 p.m & 12:40p.m., which according to astrologers, is Makara Lagnam
Uddandarayunipalem village at Thullur mandal in Guntur district selected for foundation stone laying fete
Village located on the banks of river Krishna; has a population of 1,441
Foundation stone will be laid to the south of the Krishna River flood bank
It is also the North-East corner of the capital region - a Vaastu pre-requisite
200 acres of land, including Banana plantations, fields growing elephant yam and other vegetable crops, levelled in the area
75 minutes, that’s how long Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be at the programme. He will later leave for Tirumala
All Roads Lead to Amaravati
Arrangements for the mega event commenced on Oct-1
Since road connectivity is very limited, two major roads were fortified and six semi permanent roads were laid to the venue from different directions
Parking arrangements being made on the roadside of Vijayawada-Amaravati route
2 lakh people, including 1,500 VVIPs, expected to attend the historic event
1.54 lakh people have been formally invited
Invitations categorised into different groups - MIP (most important people), AAA, AA, P, A. Route maps, vehicle passes and parking slots sent along with the invite.
Invitations sent to the President, PM, Vice-President, Lok Sabha Speaker, Supreme Court Chief Justice, judges, Niti Aayog Chairman and members, central ministers, cabinet secretary and other high ranking officials, chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force, chiefs of national parties, ambassadors, chairpersons of different commissions
Invites also sent to Governors, chief ministers, high court chief justices, leaders of opposition, advocate generals, police chiefs of all the states
S Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister for Trade & Industry along with a delegation of high ranking officials and a delegation of ministers from the Japanese government will be attending the programme
500 business honchos, prominent personalities from art, theatre and film world have also been invited
22,000 farmers, whose lands were acquired for the construction of Amaravati, invited; dhotis and sarees distributed; separate gallery has also been arranged for them
3 helipads prepared so far; one more expected to be ready
6 helipads in total will be ready at Gannavaram airport and nearby areas
Food for All
Hyderabad-based KMK Event Management Pvt Limited has been entrusted with the task
Food to be served in packets for 1.5 lakh plus visitors
Food counters category wise organised on the right side of the main venue
Arrangements made for supply of drinking water, buttermilk, snacks and tea
Only vegetarian food will be served