Hussainsagar, the picturesque lake in the heart of Hyderabad, is set to undergo major changes with the unveiling of three new landmarks. Dr B R Ambedkar’s 125-foot statue is scheduled to be unveiled on his birth anniversary (April 14), and the Secretariat building, named after him, is set to be inaugurated on April 30. The Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial is also nearing completion and will be inaugurated soon. The state government has released a video depicting the changing face of Hussain Sagar.
Buddha’s statue has been a source of pride for the city for over three decades. However, the bronze statue of Ambedkar installed near the banks of the lake is expected to attract more tourists to the area. The Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will unveil India’s tallest statue of the architect of Indian Constitution at a grand ceremony on April 14. The state government has invited Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash Ambedkar to be the chief guest for the unveiling ceremony.
The new complex of Telangana secretariat will be inaugurated by KCR a couple of weeks after the statue unveiling. The complex is a seven-storey structure with a built-up area of 7 lakh square feet and equipped with all modern facilities. It has been constructed at a cost of nearly Rs 650 crore. The building boasts of two massive domes, with the national emblem atop one of the domes, taking the building to its planned height of 278 feet.
The construction of the Telangana Martyrs Memorial near the Secretariat is also in its final stage. With an area of three lakh square feet, the Martyrs’ Memorial is shaped like a lamp with light to pay tributes to those who laid down their lives for statehood to Telangana. The first floor will have a photo gallery, museum, and art gallery, while the second and third floors will house a convention centre and restaurants, respectively.
Hussain Sagar, the most popular hangout place in Hyderabad, is getting a major facelift. The three landmarks are set to add glitter to the area, which includes the historic Tank Bund road on the lake that divides the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. With boating facilities and surrounding parks, food joints, and Imax theatre, Hussain Sagar is the oldest and popular hangout place for citizens.
Hundreds of families spend their evenings or leisure time around the lake. Tourists walk along the foreshore, take a boat ride, click selfies at ‘Love Hyderabad’ sculpture, and enjoy tasty food at Eat Street. In 2016, the place added another attraction with the installation of a 72 by 108 feet national flag on a 291-feet high flag post at Sanjeevaiah Park. An artificial island, built of dredged sediments, is also taking shape, adding another attraction to the lake.
In the 1980s, N.T. Rama Rao, the then Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh, had given a facelift to Hussain Sagar by installing statues of 33 eminent Telugu personalities. However, this move came under criticism from some environmentalists as it ate into the free space. He also got a 58-feet tall Buddha statue installed on the ‘Rock of Gibraltar’ in the middle of the lake. The statue was hewn out of a white granite rocket, weighing 450 tonnes, carved by 200 sculptors for two years, and installed in 1992 on a red lotus pedestal.
