A Monument to Equality and Justice: Standing proudly on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake, the Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Statue in Hyderabad is a towering tribute to one of modern India's greatest visionaries. The Chief Minister had said that India's tallest statue of Ambedkar, which is next to the State Secretariat, opposite to the Buddha statue, and located beside the Telangana Martyrs Memorial, will inspire people every day and motivate the entire State administration. The statue is an imposing structure surrounded by well-maintained gardens and walking paths, situated in the heart of the city — an impressive sight, standing tall and proud, and easily visible from various parts of Hyderabad.
Ambedkar Jayanti or Bhim Jayanti is observed on 14 April to commemorate the memory of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Indian politician and social reformer. His birthday is also referred to as 'Equality Day' in India. Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao unveiled the statue on 14 April 2023 on his 132nd birth anniversary. Ambedkar's grandson, Prakash Ambedkar, was invited as the chief guest and attended the unveiling amidst chanting of hymns by Buddhist monks. A helicopter showered flower petals on the statue from above.
🏛️ The Statue – Design and Architecture
🎨 Designed by the Sculptors Behind the Statue of Unity: The statue was designed by renowned sculptors Ram Vanji Sutar (98) and his son Anil Ram Sutar (65) of Ram Sutar Art Creations in Noida, Uttar Pradesh — the same duo who designed several monumental sculptures, including the world's tallest statue, the Statue of Unity (597 feet) of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat.
The iconic structure is claimed to be the tallest statue in the country ever built for the 'architect of the Indian Constitution'. The statue is quite unique in its design as it depicts Dr. B. R. Ambedkar seated in a chair, with a book on his left hand and the Constitution of India on his right. The hands of the statue are put together, indicating a sense of hope and unity, and it stands atop a lotus-shaped platform.
Materials Used: The statue, made of steel and bronze, weighs a total of 474 tonnes. A whopping 360 tonnes of stainless steel was used for building the armature structure of the statue, while 114 tonnes of bronze was used for casting the statue.
🏛️ The Pedestal – Resembling the Parliament of India
🏛️ A Unique 50-Foot-High Circular Base: The statue stands on a 50-foot-high circular pedestal resembling the edifice of the Parliament of India. The pedestal on which the statue is installed has three floors with a total built-up area of 26,258 sq ft (2,439 sq m). This structure houses a museum which has several articles and pictures depicting the life history of Ambedkar, and a 100-seater auditorium for presenting audio-visuals of Ambedkar's life. A library will also be built in due course.
🌳 Surroundings – A Beautifully Landscaped Memorial Park
The entire premises spread over 11 acres has been beautified with landscape and greenery in 2.93 acres, besides providing parking facilities for about 450 cars. The surroundings of the statue have been developed as a park, with walking paths, benches, and fountains, making it a pleasant place to spend an evening with family and friends. The statue is also illuminated at night, giving it a completely different appearance and making it a popular spot for night photography.
Accessibility: There are two lifts for visitors to reach the top of the pedestal and get close to the feet of Ambedkar, ensuring the statue is accessible to elderly visitors and those with mobility concerns.
📜 Who Was Dr. B. R. Ambedkar? (1891–1956)
👨⚖️ Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956) was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer, and political leader who headed the committee drafting the Constitution of India from the Constituent Assembly debates. He served as Law and Justice Minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru and inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement after renouncing Hinduism. In 1990, the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was posthumously conferred on Ambedkar. He is fondly referred to by the honorific 'Babasaheb' (Respected Father).
📚 Early Life and Education – Overcoming Untouchability
Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 in the town and military cantonment of Mhow (now officially known as Dr Ambedkar Nagar) in Madhya Pradesh. He was the 14th and last child of Ramji Maloji Sakpal, an army officer who held the rank of Subedar, and Bhimabai Sakpal. His family was of Marathi background from the town of Ambadawe in Ratnagiri district of modern-day Maharashtra.
⚠️ Born into a Mahar (Dalit) Caste: Ambedkar was born into a Mahar (Dalit) caste, who were treated as untouchables and subjected to socio-economic discrimination. Although they attended school, Ambedkar and other untouchable children were segregated and given little attention or help by teachers. They were not allowed to sit inside the class. When they needed to drink water, someone from a higher caste had to pour that water from a height as they were not allowed to touch either the water or the vessel that contained it. This task was usually performed for the young Ambedkar by the school peon, and if the peon was not available then he had to go without water. He described the situation in his writings as: "No peon, No Water".
In 1897, Ambedkar's family moved to Mumbai where Ambedkar became the only untouchable enrolled at Elphinstone High School. In 1906, when he was about 15 years old, he married a nine-year-old girl, Ramabai. In 1907, he passed his matriculation examination and in the following year he entered Elphinstone College, becoming, according to him, the first from his Mahar caste to do so.
🎓 Higher Education – Columbia University & London School of Economics
In 1913, at the age of 22, Ambedkar was awarded a Baroda State Scholarship of £11.50 (Sterling) per month for three years for postgraduate education at Columbia University in New York City. He passed his M.A. exam in June 1915, majoring in economics, and other subjects of Sociology, History, Philosophy, and Anthropology. He was influenced by John Dewey and his work on democracy. He received his Ph.D. degree in economics at Columbia in 1927.
In October 1916, he enrolled for the Bar course at Gray's Inn, London, and at the same time enrolled at the London School of Economics (LSE) where he started working on a doctoral thesis. In 1923, he completed a D.Sc. in Economics which was awarded from the University of London, and the same year he was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn.
⚔️ Opposition to Untouchability – A Lifelong Battle
In 1918, he became professor of political economy in the Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai. Although he was successful with the students, other professors objected to his sharing a drinking-water jug with them. He began the publication of the weekly Mooknayak (Leader of the Silent) in Mumbai with the help of Shahu of Kolhapur.
By 1927, Ambedkar had decided to launch active movements against untouchability. He began with public movements and marches to open up public drinking water resources. He led a satyagraha in Mahad to fight for the right of the untouchable community to draw water from the main water tank of the town. In a conference in late 1927, Ambedkar publicly condemned the classic Hindu text, the Manusmriti (Laws of Manu), for ideologically justifying caste discrimination and "untouchability", and he ceremonially burned copies of the ancient text. On 25 December 1927, he led thousands of followers to burn copies of Manusmriti. Thus annually 25 December is celebrated as Manusmriti Dahan Din (Manusmriti Burning Day) by Ambedkarites and Dalits.
In 1930, Ambedkar launched the Kalaram Temple movement after three months of preparation. About 15,000 volunteers assembled at Kalaram Temple satyagraha, making one of the greatest processions of Nashik. When they reached the gates, the gates were closed by Brahmin authorities.
📜 The Poona Pact (1932): In 1932, the British colonial government announced the formation of a separate electorate for "Depressed Classes" in the Communal Award. Mahatma Gandhi fiercely opposed a separate electorate for untouchables, fearing it would divide the Hindu community. Gandhi protested by fasting while imprisoned in the Yerwada Central Jail. Following the fast, on 25 September 1932, the Poona Pact was signed between Ambedkar (on behalf of the depressed classes among Hindus) and Madan Mohan Malaviya (on behalf of other Hindus). The agreement gave reserved seats for the depressed classes within the general electorate.
📖 Annihilation of Caste – A Revolutionary Text (1936)
Ambedkar published his book Annihilation of Caste on 15 May 1936. It strongly criticised Hindu orthodox religious leaders and the caste system in general, and included a rebuke of Gandhi on the subject. In a 1955 BBC interview, he accused Gandhi of writing in opposition of the caste system in English language papers while writing in support of it in Gujarati language papers.
🇮🇳 Constitution of India – The Architect (1947–1950)
📜 Chairman of the Drafting Committee: Upon India's independence on 15 August 1947, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru invited Ambedkar to serve as the Dominion of India's Law Minister; two weeks later, he was appointed Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution for the future Republic of India.
The Indian Constitution guarantees and protections for a wide range of civil liberties for individual citizens, including freedom of religion, the abolition of untouchability, and the outlawing of all forms of discrimination. Ambedkar argued for extensive economic and social rights for women and won the Assembly's support for introducing a system of reservations of jobs in the civil services, schools, and colleges for members of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) — a system akin to affirmative action.
The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 by the Constituent Assembly. On 25 November 1949, in his concluding speech in the Constituent Assembly, Ambedkar said:
📜 "The credit that is given to me does not really belong to me. It belongs partly to Sir B.N. Rau, the Constitutional Advisor to the Constituent Assembly who prepared a rough draft of the Constitution for the consideration of the Drafting Committee."
🕉️ Conversion to Buddhism – A Historic Moment (1956)
Ambedkar considered converting to Sikhism but concluded that he might get "second-rate" Sikh status. Instead, around 1950, he began devoting his attention to Buddhism. In 1955, he founded the Bharatiya Bauddha Mahasabha (Buddhist Society of India).
On 14 October 1956, Ambedkar organised a formal public ceremony for himself and his supporters in Nagpur. Accepting the Three Refuges and Five Precepts from a Buddhist monk in the traditional manner, he completed his own conversion, along with his wife. He then proceeded to convert some 500,000 of his supporters who were gathered around him. He prescribed the 22 Vows for these converts, after the Three Jewels and Five Precepts.
🕯️ Death and Legacy (6 December 1956)
Three days after completing his final manuscript The Buddha and His Dhamma, Ambedkar died in his sleep on 6 December 1956 at his home in Delhi. A Buddhist cremation was organised at Dadar Chowpatty beach on 7 December, attended by half a million grieving people.
In 1990, the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was posthumously conferred on Ambedkar. The salutation Jai Bhim ("Hail Bhim") used by followers honours him. He is also referred to by the nickname Babasaheb, meaning "Respected Father".
🏆 Legacy: In 2012, Ambedkar was voted "the Greatest Indian" since independence by a poll organised by History TV18 and CNN IBN, ahead of Patel and Nehru, with nearly 20 million votes cast. Due to his role in economics, economist Amartya Sen said that Ambedkar is "father of my economics", and "his contribution in the field of economics is marvelous and will be remembered forever."
⏰ Visitor Information
📍 Address
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Statue
Telangana State Secretariat Road,
Hussain Sagar, Khairatabad,
Hyderabad, Telangana – 500004
🕐 Timings
Open: All days of the week
Timings: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Best visited during sunset for illuminated views
💰 Entry Fee
Free entry for all visitors
🚗 How to Reach
Metro: Khairatabad / Lakdi-ka-pul (Red Line)
Bus: TSRTC buses to Secretariat / Khairatabad
Auto/Cab: Easily available from anywhere in Hyderabad
Parking: Available for about 450 cars
📅 Best Time to Visit: The statue can be visited year-round, but the evening hours (5:00 PM – 8:00 PM) are particularly spectacular when the statue is illuminated. 14 April (Ambedkar Jayanti) is celebrated with special events and gatherings. The winter months (October – February) offer the most pleasant weather for exploring the 11-acre memorial park.
🏛️ Nearby Attractions
- Hussain Sagar Lake – Heart-shaped lake with Buddha statue (adjacent)
- Buddha Statue – 18-meter monolithic statue on Gibraltar Rock
- Telangana Martyrs Memorial – Seamless stainless steel memorial (adjacent)
- Telangana State Secretariat – Seat of state government (adjacent)
- Birla Mandir – White marble temple on Naubath Pahad (1 km)
- Lumbini Park – Urban park with laser show (1 km)
- Necklace Road – Scenic promenade along Hussain Sagar
📸 Photography Tips: The best photography opportunities include:
- Sunset and evening illumination – The statue is beautifully lit at night, making it a popular spot for night photography
- The lotus-shaped platform – Unique design element worth capturing
- Wide-angle shots – To capture the full 175-foot height including the Parliament-inspired pedestal
- With Hussain Sagar backdrop – The lake and Buddha statue in the background create stunning compositions
- Close-up details – The book on the left hand and the Constitution on the right hand are beautifully crafted
✨ Key Features Summary
- Name: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Statue (Babasaheb Ambedkar Statue)
- Location: Telangana Secretariat, Hussain Sagar, Khairatabad, Hyderabad
- Statue Height: 125 feet (38 meters)
- Pedestal Height: 50 feet (15 meters)
- Total Height: 175 feet (53 meters)
- Distinction: India's tallest Ambedkar statue
- Total Weight: 474 tonnes (360 tonnes steel + 114 tonnes bronze)
- Project Cost: ₹146.50 crore
- Inauguration: 14 April 2023 (132nd Ambedkar Jayanti) by K. Chandrashekar Rao
- Designers: Ram V. Sutar and Anil Ram Sutar (Statue of Unity sculptors)
- Pedestal Design: 3 floors, 26,258 sq ft, resembling Parliament of India
- Facilities in Pedestal: Museum (life history exhibits), 100-seater auditorium, library (planned)
- Park Area: 11 acres (2.93 acres landscaped greenery)
- Parking: 450 cars
- Accessibility: Two lifts for visitors to reach the pedestal top
- Timings: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM (all days)
- Entry Fee: Free
- Nearest Metro: Khairatabad / Lakdi-ka-pul (Red Line)
⭐ Why Visit Dr. Ambedkar Statue? – India's tallest statue of the Constitution's architect | 175 feet of inspirational grandeur | Designed by Statue of Unity sculptors | Parliament-inspired 50-ft pedestal with museum & auditorium | Scenic Hussain Sagar lakefront location | Beautifully illuminated at night | Adjacent to Telangana Martyrs Memorial | 11-acre landscaped memorial park with walking paths | Free entry, accessible to all
📚 References & More Information
- Hindustan Times – Telangana CM unveils 125-ft tall statue of Dr B R Ambedkar (14 April 2023)
- Wikipedia – B. R. Ambedkar
- India Today – KCR unveils 125-feet Ambedkar statue in Hyderabad (14 April 2023)