The Swaraj Maidan, home to the newly installed 125-foot statue of the Constitution’s architect, features state-of-the-art amenities. Among them are an experiential center, a convention facility accommodating 2,000 people, a food court, a children’s play area, water features, a musical fountain, and well-designed walkways.
The Swaraj Maidan in the heart of Vijayawada will henceforth be known as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Swaraj Maidan.
This is where the Statue of Social Justice stands tall—an iconic 125-ft. statue (excluding the 85-ft. concrete pedestal) honoring the architect of the Constitution. Its surroundings will be open to the public starting January 20.
The statue is India’s tallest non-religious structure. Made in India, it is also the world’s tallest statue of Dr. Ambedkar, according to a press release by the Department of Information and Public Relations (I&PR).
The Andhra Pradesh government has installed the statue at Swaraj Maidan as it is accessible to everyone. The activities for which Swaraj Maidan is being used now will be continued.
The project is designed and developed by M/s Design Associates, Noida. It comprises the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar experience centre, a 2,000-capacity convention centre, a food court, children’s play area, waterbodies, musical fountain, long walkways with greenery.
The government had launched the prestigious project in 2020 with an estimated budget of ₹268 crore, and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy laid the foundation stone for it in June 2020.
The structure of the building is made of pile foundation with 539 piles of 30-metre-deep, shear walls and inclined RCC slabs and beams with an inclination of 50 degrees. The pedestal design replicates the Kalachakra Maha Mandal of Buddhist architecture. The pedestal of the statue is G+2 Isosceles Trapezium shaped RCC framed structure. The shape and finishing of it is an architectural inspiration, the release says.
The statue is made of 352 tonnes of steel and 112 tonnes of brass. The government has studied various countrywide models, which include Ambedkar Deeksha Bhoomi (Nagpur), Chaitya Bhoomi (Mumbai), Ambedkar Memorial (Lakhanpur), and Prerna Sthal (Noida).