Amaravati: A massive bronze statue titled “Statue of Sacrifice” will be installed in Amaravati on March 16 as a tribute to Potti Sreeramulu, who sacrificed his life through a fast unto death for the formation of a separate Andhra State from the Madras Presidency. The 58-foot statue, constructed at Shakamuru Park in the Andhra Pradesh capital by the Amarajeevi Potti Sreeramulu Memorial Trust, will be unveiled on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary. The statue’s height symbolically represents the 58-day hunger strike he undertook for the cause of Telugu people. The unveiling ceremony is scheduled to be held at 10 a.m. on Monday at the Amarajeevi Potti Sreeramulu Memorial Park in Amaravati.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and Minister Nara Lokesh, along with BJP state president P.V.N. Madhav and other dignitaries, are expected to attend the event. The foundation stone for the project was laid on September 3 last year by Nara Lokesh, and the statue was completed within six months on a war footing. Organisers said the programme will be held at Shakamuru Park on the Thulluru–Pedaparimi road and is expected to draw a large gathering of people and representatives from social organisations across the state. They described the installation of the statue in Amaravati as a historic step to keep alive the legacy and sacrifice of Potti Sreeramulu for future generations.