Hussain Sagar, Hyderabad, Telengana India
WHERE DOES THIS BEAUTY ORIGINATE FROM?
The Buddha Statue is former Andhra Pradesh CM, NT Rama Rao’s brainchild. He was mighty impressed by the Statute of Liberty in the USA so he decided to give Hyderabad, the then capital of the state of Andhra, a sculpture that could turn into an iconic landmark. It is perhaps the world's tallest monolithic statue of Gautam Buddha - meaning it has been sculpted out of a one single piece of rock. It is 16 meters tall and weighs about 350 tonne! Astonishing?
With a time span of 5 years for building it, while setting it up at where it is today, the statue slipped into the lake and about 10 engineers got killed in the 1990 tragedy.
The statue is believed to have remained underwater for two years, after which attempts were made to install the statue as per the initial plan, and it now stands tall on a 15-feet concrete platform that supports the majestic sculpture.
Why Hussain Sagar :
Built in 1562, by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali, Hussain Sagar Lake is spread over an area of 5.7 square kilometres, across a tributary of the Musi River.Before Himayat Sagar or Osman Sagar dam was constructed, this used to be the primary source of perennial water supply. Again it links Hyderabad city with Secundrabad, one of the oldest place where all tourists get down first!
Situated at nearly the center of the city, Necklace Road Tank-Bund is one of the most visited place by people coming from all over the world. So why not here? Encapsulated by Birla Mandir, Lumbini Park, NTR Gardens, this serves as the best place for recreation for everyone.
HOW TO GO :
To reach the Buddha Statue, you have ferry service from Lumbini Park to the rock of Gibraltar, on which this statue stands. (Normal boat would cost 55 INR whereas speedboats or Water Jets can cost you over 250 INR.
Although a sight worth capturing even from far, it is an enchanting experience to get a close look at the statue. You can also sit at Eat Street and enjoy the view with some mouth watering snacks.
The best time to visit is evening when the statue is illuminated in different colorful lights. The sight of illuminated statue of Buddha, with just water all around it, is mesmerizing. It is something you cannot miss. The timings are from 7 am to 10.30 pm.
PS : Photographers can take better shots from outside the park from Necklace Road