The PWD, also known as Swaraj Maidan, will now be officially referred to as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Swaraj Maidan. This change comes as the iconic 206 ft. tall Statue of Social Justice, a tribute to Bharath Ratna Babasaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, is installed at the Maidan. Starting from January 20, the public will have access to the precincts, making it a prominent attraction in the city. This statue holds the distinction of being India’s tallest non-religious, Made in India statue, as well as the world’s tallest statue of Ambedkar, as stated in a press release by the Department of Information and Public Relations (I&PR).
The State Government carefully selected Swaraj Maidan as the location for this statue to ensure its accessibility to everyone. The traditional activities that currently take place at Swaraj Maidan will continue as before.
The project, developed by M/s Design Associates, Noida, encompasses various elements such as the DR BR Ambedkar experience centre, a convention centre with a seating capacity of 2,000, a food court, a children’s play area, waterbodies, a musical fountain, and long walkways surrounded by greenery for morning and evening walkers.
Within the Kalachakra Maha Mandap building, an experience centre has been created under the statue. The museum exhibits aim to connect and inspire people from all walks of life with the story of Dr. BR Ambedkar’s life. The centre showcases dynamic contextual walls, multi-layered graphics, layered graphics with embedded displays, diorama, and set design with projection mapping.
The building structure is supported by a pile foundation consisting of 539 piles with a depth of 30 meters. It also includes shear walls and inclined RCC slabs and beams with a 50-degree inclination. The design of the pedestal replicates the Kalachakra Maha Mandal of Buddhist Architecture. The pedestal, shaped like a G+2 Isosceles Trapezium, is a remarkable architectural inspiration.
The State government initiated this prestigious project in 2020 with an estimated budget of ₹268 crores. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy laid the foundation stone in June 2020. The statue itself is constructed using 352 metric tons of steel and 112 metric tons of brass. The government studied various models from across the country, including Ambedkar Deeksha Bhoomi (Nagpur), Chaitya Bhoomi (Mumbai), Ambedkar Memorial (Lakhanpur), and Prerana Sthal (Noida).
Previously, the government led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had planned to build a 125 feet Ambedkar statue in the capital city Amaravati. Mr. Naidu even laid the foundation stone for it in April 2016. The TDP government’s plan included constructing a B.R. Ambedkar memorial, featuring the statue of the Constitution’s architect, on a 15-acre site in the new capital Amaravati.