Hyderabad: Hyderabad is now home to the world’s tallest statue of Dr BR Ambedkar, with Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao unveiling the 125-ft statue in the presence of former MP and Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash Ambedkar here on Friday.
A festive atmosphere prevailed in the city all through the day as people turned up in large numbers from off places, including neighbouring Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, to witness the historic occasion.
After hosting a lunch for Prakash, the Chief Minister personally took him to the venue for the unveiling ceremony around 3 pm. Buddhist monks extended a traditional welcome to the Chief Minister, who specially inspected the giant garland, which was put on the statue.
The cynosure of the event was the showering of flower petals on the Ambedkar statue from a helicopter, amidst ‘Jai Bhim’ slogans from the gathering. Later, the Chief Minister urged Prakash to formally open the circular base building.
After paying floral tributes at the feet of the statue, the Chief Minister, along with the chief guest, inspected a photo exhibition. In the auditorium, a special documentary, ‘Atmabandhuvu Ambedkarudu’, was screened. This was followed by a presentation on Dalit Bandhu success stories and the measures taken by the Telangana government for the welfare and development of the Dalit community in the State. Later, the duo reached the public meeting stage and addressed the gathering.