Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) is planning to build India’s tallest Buddha statue in Vijayawada. The 40-feet statue is likely to be installed atop Seethamma Hill opposite Indra Keladri in the city.
The statue will be a major tourist attraction in Vijayawada which leads the way to the capital city of Amaravati.
The move is seen as a step towards Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's plan to develop archeological sites in the state and build a Buddhism tourist circuit. Naidu plans to invite the Dalai Lama for the Kalachakra puja, the most sacred event of Buddhist religious calendar, which is to be held in Amaravati either in December 2017 or January 2018.
The government has reportedly set aside Rs 100 crore for the development of five Buddhist shrines at Thotlakonda, Bavikonda, Sankaram, Salihundam and Bojjannakonda in Vizag and Srikakulam districts. APTDC has hired a London-based consultant, Raj Singh, for cruise tourism in the backwaters of Godavari and from Visakhapatnam to Baruva (Srikakulam). However, it has not yet appointed a consultant for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on how feasible the whole project will be.
