10 Years of Telangana: Martyrs memorial – a seamless lamp of eternally glowing tribute

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Martyrs Memorial, the world’s largest seamless stainless-steel structure built at a cost of Rs 177.50 crore beside the Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad, resembles the unwavering spirit of the men and women who sacrificed their lives for the self-rule of Telangana.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao will inaugurate the Martyrs Memorial on Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 6.30 pm.

The six-storied structure resembling a traditional earthen oil lamp has few similarities with the Cloud Gate of Chicago in the USA and the Bubble in Karamay of China which also have puffed stainless steel exteriors. The martyrs memorial however is six times bigger than the Cloud Gate.

The egg-shaped martyrs memorial with a huge red and yellow flame-like structure on the top was designed by eminent sculptor M Venkata Ramana Reddy. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), who was very keen on the flagship project, rejected many proposals but approved the fifth design that Venkata Ramana Reddy had submitted.

The sculptor explained that people all over the world light lamps in memory of the departed and the state of Telangana salutes those who laid their lives for separate statehood in the shape of the memorial.

However, the structure, despite a shiny exterior of 4-mm-thick stainless steel, will remain cool inside as the steel reflects the Sun, a puff material and the supporting fibre-reinforced concrete sheets underneath will insulate the interiors from external temperature. The entire structure is centrally air-conditioned for the comfort of the visitors.

In all, 3,000 stainless steel plates weighing a massive 100 tonnes were used in covering the base of the lamp. The steel was fabricated in Dubai and shifted to Hyderabad in pieces. The seamless smooth finish was achieved with the help of the latest welding technology, which gave the structure a seamless feel. While 1,200 tonnes of steel was used in the construction, concrete was limited to walls and slabs inside the structure.

The red and yellow flame on top can withstand winds up to 130 km as it was made out of carbon steel, an alloy of carbon and iron. The flame that has external lighting will brighten the Hyderabad skyline at night.

What is inside the memorial

The interiors of the 2.88 lakh square feet structure built in a 3.29-acre area contain an audio-visual hall that could accommodate 75 people, a convention centre that could accommodate 650 audience, a restaurant and other essential amenities for the visitors. The kitchen and restaurant of the memorial were built on two floors so that the visitors can enjoy the view of Hussainsagar, Dr BR Ambedkar statue, and the new Secretariat while they enjoy their food. The memorial has a massive parking space that could accommodate 350 cars and double the number of two-wheelers.

The memorial, which is unique in design combined with a sense of pride of the region, is bound to become a major tourist attraction. The brief audio-visual shows meant for the tourists are structured to tell them the long history of sacrifices made by common people from all walks of life, especially the students in different phases of the separate Telangana agitation.