Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the world’s second-largest statue to the nation today at 5 pm. The 216-feet ‘Statue of Equality’ commemorates the 11th-century Bhakti saint Sri Ramanujacharya. President Ram Nath Kovind will unveil the inner chamber`s golden statue of Ramanuja, weighing 120 kg on February 13.
The Statue is made of five metals namely, gold, silver, copper, brass and zinc an insider revealed. Made to promote faith, caste, and creed, it is mounted on a 54 feet high base building named Bhadra Vedi and 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.
The inauguration of the statue is part of the ongoing 12-day celebrations of his 1,000th birth anniversary. During the programme, 3D Presentation Mapping on the life journey and teaching of Sri Ramanujacharya will also be showcased.
Prior to the unveiling, PM would visit ICRISAT at 2:45 pm to launch their 50th-anniversary celebration. ICRISAT- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Patencheru, is an international organisation that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia & sub-Saharan Africa. It helps farmers by providing improved crop varieties and hybrids and also helps smallholder farmers in the drylands fight climate change.