Maya memorial gets fourth makeover in 3 yrs

The memorial consists of 15-feet bronze statues of Mayawati and Kanshiram,and facing statues of B R Ambedkar and his wife Ramabai Ambedkar,on the other side of the road. Both sets of statues are covered with a stone canopy supported by 35-feet high stone columns. There are stone screens on three sides with a tall,concave sandstone wall forming the backdrop.

Now,the canopies and stone screens are being covered with brass sheets on the inner side while full-lengths metal murals will be fitted on the stone screens outside. The stone columns and the top of the canopies are also being covered with brass sheets. About 20 tonnes of brass is being used,an official said.

The state government has directed the UP Rajkiya Niram Nigam (UPRNN) to complete the work before October 9,the death anniversary of Kanshiram. UPRNN sources said the estimated cost of the project is around Rs 2 crore. However,UPRNN Managing Director Arvind Kumar Bhatia refused to discuss the matter.

“The murals will have scenes depicting memorable events from the lives of Mayawati,Kanshiram and B R Ambedkar,” said an official.

One mural shows a BSP rally organised at Laxman Mela Ground in Lucknow in December 2001 when Kanshiram had declared Mayawati as his political heir.

In another mural,B R Ambedkar is shown taking ‘deeksha’ of Buddhism in Nagpur in 1956. In a third mural,Ambedkar is shown handing over the draft of the Indian Constitution to first President Rajendra Prasad.

An official said the change was being done to enhance the look of the memorial and to enable the walls to bear the load of the giant bronze murals.

Memorial makeovers:

* The memorial was constructed in 2007-08 by Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) on a two-acre plot on the Gomti embankment adjacent to the Ambedkar Memorial. In the beginning,it had only the bronze statues on a pedestal,set against concave walls. It was developed at the cost of Rs 7 crore and Chief Minister Mayawati had unveiled the statues on April 14,2008,Ambedkar’s birth anniversary.

* Within two months,the first change took place. The statue of Mayawati,which was three feet shorter than the statue of her mentor Kanshiram,was replaced with a taller one. The cost of the new statue was about Rs 21 lakh.

* The second change happened in March 2009. The entire granite floor around the pedestals was dug up,pillars were raised,canopies erected over the statues,and stone screens were put up on three sides. The cost was around Rs 50 lakh.

* The third design change was made in April 2011. The sandstone floor and the green patch in front was dug up and paved with granite. The sandstone on the walking track around the memorial was also replaced by granite. Four bronze fountains were installed,but these are yet to be operational. Heavy brass gates were put up at the entrance of both parts of the memorial.

* Sources in UPRNN said that the cost of these works was around Rs 10 crore.