Hyderabad: The 17-foot-tall bronze statue of Telangana Thalli was unveiled at the Secretariat by chief minister A Revanth Reddy and deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka on Monday, December 9.
It has been designed by Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU) professor Gangadhar and has been sculpted by architect Ramana Reddy’s team. He is an alumnus of JNAFAU and was the architect who built the Martyrs Memorial at Necklace Road.
The cost of the statue is around Rs 5.30 crore.
Telangana poets, artists and personalities honoured
Addressing the gathering, Revanth Reddy announced that the state government has decided to honour nine poets, artists and prominent personalities who have dedicated their entire lives for achieving Telangana’s statehood.
He said that those nine individuals will be given a 300 square foot house in the Future City, in addition to Rs 1 crore as monetary reward and a bronze plaque in their name, so that the future generations will remember their sacrifices.
The nine awardees were poet Ande Sri who penned Telangana state song “Jaya Jayahe Telangana,” poet and singer Guda Anjaiah, balladeer and revolutionary Gaddar, poet and lyricist Suddala Ashok Teja, poet and singer Jayaraj, sculptor Ekka Yadagiri Rao who sculpted the Martyrs Memorial Stupa at the Gun Park, veteran journalist Pasham Yadagiri, singer and BRS MLC Goreti Venkanna, and Bandi Yadagiri, who penned the famous song “Bandenaka Bandi Gatti.”
“This is not being done just to reward them. It is to assure their families that they will forever remain in the hearts of the people and that four crore Telangana people will carry their legacy and their sacrifices on their shoulders,” the chief minister clarified.
Talking about the Telangana Thalli statue, he said that the statue reminded him of his mother when he was a child, and that the statue will reminded everyone of their own mothers.
“Whether it was Ale Narendra, Vijayashanthi or KCR, they all designed and installed Telangana Thalli statues with the designs and ideas of their parties. But all these years no government has officially recognised a particular model for Telangana Thalli, the reason why the state government has decided to install the statue after consulting artists and intellectuals,” he said.
No future government can discontinue Dec 9 celebrations
Revanth Reddy also said that steps were taken so that irrespective of any government coming to power in the future, no party could even think about making modifications or discontinuing the December 9 celebrations of Telangana Thalli Utsavalu.
He warned that legal action will be taken against those who try to do so.
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