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Book a Cab To Statue of Equality in Hyderabad
Statue of Equality in Hyderabad It took approximately 15 months to assemble the pieces and install the statue. The inauguration of the statue is a significant part of the ongoing 12-day Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samaroham celebration, which is commemorating the 1,000th birth anniversary of the saint. The government’s press release stated that the saint advocated for equality in all aspects of life, including faith, caste, and creed. Standing at a towering height of 216 feet, the statue is one of the tallest in the world.
The Design
The idea to construct a statue to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of Ramanuja’s teachings was proposed in 2014 by ascetic Swamy Chinna Jeeyar. The project’s initial drawings were completed under Swamy Chinna Jeeyar’s guidance by DNV Prasad Sthapathi, who was appointed as the Chief Architect for the project. The statue will be built on a site that spans over 27,870 square metres and comprises three floors. The ground floor, which covers 6,000 square metres, will feature depictions of Ramanuja’s life and philosophy. The temple, where daily worship will be held, will be situated on the second floor, which covers an area of 27,870 square metres. The third floor, which is 1,365 square metres, will house a Vedic digital library and research centre. Additionally, an Omnimax theatre shaped like a planetarium, featuring the life stories of Ramanuja, was planned for the site. Fourteen models were designed based on Agama Shashtra and Shilpa Shastras, out of which three were shortlisted. Using 3D scanning technology, improvements were made to the three shortlisted models before finalizing the design for the statue.
Cost
With most of the funds collected through donations by devotees, the construction of the statue cost an estimated ₹1,000 crore (US$130 million).
Construction
Swamy Chinna Jeeyar laid the foundation stone for the statue, which was originally slated for completion in November 2017, but the deadline was later revised to February 2019. In August 2015, Aerosun Corporation, a company based in Nanjing, was awarded the contract for the construction of the statue. The final design model of the statue was scanned using 3D technology and sent to Aerosun Corporation for construction. To build the statue, 700 tonnes of panchaloha, a five-metal alloy made of gold, silver, copper, brass, and zinc, was used. The statue was constructed in China and later transported to India in 54 shipments, consisting of 1,600 individual pieces, via the Chennai Port. Approximately 60 Chinese specialists, including engineers, workers, and welders, assembled the statue on site in Muchintal, Hyderabad, over a period of 15 months in 2017 and 2018. Aerosun Corporation provided a 20-year guarantee for the golden hue of the statue.
The base of the statue, called Bhadravedi, is a three-story building standing at 54 feet (16 m) tall. Atop the building lies a 27-foot (8.2 m) diameter lotus, carried by 36 elephants, which serves as the platform for the statue. The dimensions of the lotus represent 24 tattvas, with the remaining three representing the soul, god, and the guru. The statue has a concrete core surrounded by a panchaloha sheet with a thickness varying between 10 mm and 20 mm. The base building also includes a meditation hall where a 54-inch (1.4 m) statue of Ramanuja, made of 120 kg of gold representing his years of life, is installed. Additionally, 108 divyadesams, which are model temples built in stone, surround the statue.
The statue was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 5, 2022. The smaller golden statue inside the base building was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind on February 13, 2022.
The timings and fee for entry to the Statue of Equality are as follows
The Statue of Equality is open for visitors from Monday to Friday (excluding Wednesdays) from 3 PM to 8 PM. On Saturdays and Sundays, the timings are from 11 AM to 8 PM. Additionally, every day at 6 PM, the evening Aradhana in the Divya desams begins.
Visitors are required to follow a strict traditional dress code. Men are expected to wear a dhoti or formal Indian dress, while women are expected to wear a saree or churidar. Western attire, including jeans, is not allowed within the complex.
The entry ticket prices for the Statue of Equality are ₹150 for adults and ₹75 for children between 5 to 12 years of age. Additionally, car parking charges are ₹40.
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How to reach Statue of Equality
Located in Sriram Nagar on the outskirts of Hyderabad, the Statue of Equality is easily accessible via the Hyderabad-Bengaluru highway near Muchintal. It is situated at a distance of 34 km from Hyderabad. The nearest airport is Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, which is approximately 16 km away.
To reach the Statue of Equality by bus, one can take a public bus heading towards Shadnagar and get off at Peddatopra near Muchintal. From there, an auto can be hired to reach the statue, which is about 2 km away.
Taxis and private cabs are the most convenient mode of transportation to reach the Statue of Equality. They can be easily hired from various parts of Hyderabad. You can book them for the day from top car rental companies in Hyderabad and explore the Statue of Equality and other tourist places in Hyderabad at your own pace. The journey usually takes an hour from most parts of the city. The distance of the statue from Hyderabad Nampally railway station and Secunderabad railway station is 36 km and 41 km, respectively.