Location: Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Finding a memorial as massive and grand as this is not an everyday thing! Sprawling across an area of 107 acres, the Ambedkar Memorial is a majestic structure commissioned in the name of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar to honor all those who devoted their lives to humanity, equality. The Ex-Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati got this stupendous structure erected while the Bahujan Samaj Party was in power. While for some it is the Ambedkar Stupa or Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Prateek Sthal, for others its just the Mayawati Park.
Building such a huge memorial was not an easy task. The Chief Minister spent a lump some amount of 700 crores from the state fund with a dream of building a spectacular memoir. Red Sandstone, which was specially imported from Rajasthan, was used in its construction. A gateway at the Gomti River lets you in to the very vast complex, at the centre of which you see the 112 feet high stupa. It is surrounded by countless pillars, elephant structures some other formations. The park has a serene atmosphere which becomes even more celestial at night when the entire place is illuminated with colorful lights.
A step inside the memorial will let you see a statue of Dr. Ambedkar, seated on a chair. There are several other statues showcasing his biography. This prodigious complex stands as a royal structure in the middle of a posh locality in Lucknow. It is interesting to know that a similar kind of construction was carried out in Noida to honor the Dalit community. The project was initially sealed on the orders of the Supreme Court alleging that the project might not be eco-friendly, but was passed after a while. Also known as Green Garden, the memorial in Noida also features Mayawati’s statue as well!
If not for the architectural beauty, the Ambedkar Memorial must be visited for its gigantic look! Perhaps, this could compensate, at least a bit, for Mayawati’s vexed splurge!
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