Journalism of Courage
Beige sandstone from Rajasthan cut into shapes make for the outer layer of a massive circular building and commuters on Hyderabad’s NTR Marg now cannot miss an under-construction sculpture over it that resembles one of the most familiar poses in the country.
As a 450-tonne capacity crane lifts huge sheets of bronze to the top, parts of the book with ‘India’ written on it emerge clearer from the statue’s left hand. “In bronze, it is going to be the original Constitution of India in Babasaheb’s left hand with all its minute details,” a worker at the site said.
One of the flagship projects of the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government and a pet project of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, a giant 125-foot-tall statue of Dr B R Ambedkar standing tall in his signature pose atop the country’s parliament house is slowly coming to life.
Taking the overall height to 175 feet, the circular edifice resembling the parliament will also house a museum, library and an audio-visual hall across a 20,000 sq ft area to commemorate the life and times of the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.
The project, spread across 11.4 acres, adjoining the banks of historic Hussainsagar lake and the upcoming new Telangana state secretariat named after Dr Ambedkar, is estimated to cost Rs 146 crore and is scheduled to be unveiled on Dr Ambedkar’s birth anniversary on April 14.
According to an official of the Hyderabad-based KPC Projects Limited, the firm that is executing the project and also another similar 125-foot-tall statue of Dr Ambedkar at Swaraj Maidan in AP’s Vijayawada, around 111 tonnes of bronze is used for casting the outer cladding while non-corrosive stainless steel armature or framework is built into a reinforced concrete core pedestal for the statue’s internal strength.
“Bronze casting is done in Noida and is transported here when every 10 feet of the statue is ready. These bronze claddings of different sizes are assembled and welded together over the steel armature. A coat of polyurethane paint and polishing will keep the statue shining for the next two to three decades,” he said. The company, after completing the T-Hub phase 2 recently, is also finishing up the works at the Telangana Martyr’s memorial nearby.
The statue is designed by renowned sculptors — Ram Vanji Sutar, 98, a recipient of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards, and his son Anil Ram Sutar. Reputed for monumental sculptures, including the Statue of Unity (597 feet) of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat, the world’s tallest statue by the Ram Sutar Art Creations, Noida, was recently included in the World Book of Records in London.
The Art Studio has recently completed a 90-foot-tall statue of Kempe Gowda at Bengaluru International Airport, while a 100-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in Pune, a 153-foot-tall statue of Shiva in Bengaluru etc. are among the ongoing projects.
While the pose of the Dr Ambedkar statue in Hyderabad is simple and most remembered, the workmanship and detailing are what make it stand out, according to chief sculptor Anil Ram Sutar. Speaking to The Indian Express over the phone, he said the sculpture is not made with a view that people may overlook the details at a height.
“Because the sculpture is so big, we want to make it as detailed as possible so that people can appreciate even the stitching on Dr Ambedkar’s shoes, the shoe laces, the texture of the cloth and most importantly, facial expression. I think people will appreciate that we have been able to carry out such details,” he said.
At the art studio and foundry in Noida, one of the biggest in the country, the face of the statue is currently being cast in bronze with intricate muscular detail. All the statues are first fabricated here and then dismantled to be assembled at the project site. The works on Ambedkar’s statue began exactly a year ago in Noida and its installation in Hyderabad started four months ago. With locally procured bronze and steel, Anil said the statue is designed to withstand high wind pressure and is made in India in its entirety.
The father-son duo is happy with the way works are progressing and showing results, but are well aware of the deadline. Anil Sutar added that an artist does not make statues because he wants to be remembered. “We have been assigned a job we are good at doing. When people appreciate the work and the sculpture for hundreds of years, the artist gets his recognition because of the good artwork.” The statue is expected to be ready by March end.
