Hyderabad:
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the 216-foot tall ‘Statue of Equality’, on Saturday in Hyderabad. “This statue of Ramanujacharya ji is a symbol of his knowledge, detachment, and ideals,” he said.
The Statue of Equality commemorates Ramanujacharya, the 11th-century who promoted the idea of equality in all aspects of living including faith, caste and creed.
“Today Ramanujacharya ji is giving us the message of equality in the form of a huge Statue of Equality,” said the Prime Minister.
“The statue of Ramanujacharya has been established on Basant Panchami. I pray that what Ramanujacharya preached will guide the world. The statues of our Gurus are the way to achieve knowledge”, said PM Modi during the inauguration.
He added, “The statue of Ramanujacharya is a symbol of knowledge and wisdom. The statue will once again strengthen the ancient culture of India. What Ramanujacharya gained through years of travel and learning will now be available here”.
Further, the PM said, “On one hand you have the Statue of Unity and now we have the Statue of Equality.”
A political controversy errupted surrounding the PM’s visit as Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, known as KCR, skipped not just welcoming the Prime Minister but also all the events that he attended. The move comes amid a dramatic escalation in KCR’s attacks on the PM.
The inauguration of the Statue of Equality is part of the 12-day Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samaroham, the ongoing 1000th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Ramanujacharya, an official statement said.
Some interesting facts about the statue:
– The statue is located in a 45-acre complex on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
– At 216 feet, it is among the tallest metallic statues in sitting position in the world.
– It is mounted on a 54-feet high base building, named ‘Bhadra Vedi’.
– The building has a digital library and research centre, ancient Indian texts, a theatre, an educational gallery detailing many works and philosophies of Sri Ramanujacharya.
The statue’s inauguration is part of the 12-day celebration of Sri Ramanujacharya’s 1,000th birth anniversary.
– The foundation stone was laid in 2014. The Rs. 1,000-crore project was funded entirely by donations from devotees globally.
– The statue has been conceptualised by Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami of Sri Ramanujacharya Ashram.
