October 5, 2023: The tallest statue of the principal architect of India’s Constitution, B R Ambedkar, outside India will be unveiled in Maryland on October 14, 2023, the organisers have said, as stated in media reports.
The 19-foot statue, Statue of Equality, is part of the Ambedkar International Centre (AIC) being constructed on 13-acre land in Accokeek city of Maryland, around 35 kilometre (km) south of Washington. Representatives from different countries are expected to attend the event on October 14. According to the AIC, the memorial will serve to spread Babasaheb’s messages and teachings and showcase a symbol of equality and human rights.
Media reports cited AIC stating that this is the largest statue of Babasaheb outside India and has been installed as a part of the Ambedkar Memorial being constructed at this centre.
Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, born on April 14, 1891, was popular among his followers as Babasaheb. He was the chairman of the Constituent Assembly’s most crucial Drafting Committee that earned him the name Architect of the Indian Constitution. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism on October 14, 1956, the date coinciding with the unveiling of the statue in Maryland. October 14 is celebrated as Dhamma Chakra Parivartan Din by Ambedkarites.
The Statue of Equality has been designed by renowned artist and sculptor Ram Sutar, who also built the statue of Sardar Patel, Statue of Unity, and constructed on the isle of Sadhu Bet island in near Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River in Gujarat.
On Ambedkar Jayanti April 14, 2023, a 125-foot bronze statue of BR Ambedkar was inaugurated in Hyderabad by the Chief Minister of Telangana, K Chandrasekhar Rao. The statue, designed by Ram Sutar, was built using 360 tonne of stainless steel and 114 tonne of bronze.
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