PM to unveil 'Statue of Equality' in Hyderabad on Feb 5

Hyderabad, Feb 3 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation the 'Statue of Equality' on the outskirts of Hyderabad on February 5.

The 216-feet tall 'Statue of Equality' commemorates the 11th century Bhakti Saint Sri Ramanujacharya, who promoted the idea of equality in all aspects of living including faith, caste and creed.

The statue has come up at Sri Ramanujacharya Ashram at Mucchintal in Rangareddy district on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

The statue is made of 'panchaloha', a combination of five metals: gold, silver, copper, brass, and zinc and is among one of the tallest metallic statues in a sitting position, in the world.

It is mounted on a 54-feet high base building, named 'Bhadra Vedi', has floors devoted to a Vedic digital library and research centre, ancient Indian texts, a theatre, an educational gallery detailing many works of Sri Ramanujacharya. The statue has been conceptualised by Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami of Sri Ramanujacharya Ashram.

During the programme, 3D Presentation Mapping on the life journey and teachings of Sri Ramanujacharya will also be showcased. The Prime Minister will also visit the identical recreations of 108 Divya Desams (ornately carved temples) that surround the statue.

Sri Ramanujacharya worked tirelessly for the upliftment of people with the spirit of every human being equal regardless of nationality, gender, race, caste or creed.

The inauguration of the 'Statue of Equality' is a part of the 12-day Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samaroham, the ongoing 1000th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Ramanujacharya.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday visited the ashram and participated in the samaroham. Speaking on the occasion, he said that the statue gives a message of equal respect to all human beings. "Great Ramanujacharya's preaching was we are all the santan of God. God loves everybody equally. All should be loved equally, treated equally and respected equally," he said.

Before dedicating the statue to the nation on Saturday, the Prime Minister will visit the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) campus at Patancheru near Hyderabad and launch the 50th anniversary celebrations of ICRISAT.

Modi will also inaugurate ICRISAT's Climate Change Research Facility on Plant Protection and ICRISAT's Rapid Generation Advancement Facility. These two facilities are dedicated to the smallholder farmers of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

The Prime Minister will also unveil a specially designed logo of ICRISAT and launch a commemorative stamp issued on the occasion.

ICRISAT is an international organisation that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. It helps farmers by providing improved crop varieties and hybrids and also helps smallholder farmers in the drylands to fight climate change.