Narendra Modi to unveil ‘Statue of Equality’ in Hyderabad tomorrow

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday inaugurate the 216-foot-tall “Statue of Equality” commemorating the 11th-century Bhakti saint Sri Ramanujacharya, in Hyderabad.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said Ramanujacharya promoted the idea of equality in all aspects of living and the statue is made of “panchaloha”, a combination of five metals - gold, silver, copper, brass and zync. It added that it is one of the tallest metallic statues in sitting position in the world.

The inauguration of the statue is a part of the 12-day Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samaroham, the 1,000th birth anniversary celebration of the saint.

Modi will also in Hyderabad inaugurate the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). “The Prime Minister will also inaugurate ICRISAT’s Climate Change Research Facility on Plant Protection and ICRISAT’s Rapid Generation Advancement Facility,” said the statement. The facilities are dedicated to the small farmers of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. A commemorative stamp will also be issued.

The ICRISAT is an international organisation involved in agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.