A majestic memorial park with a 20 ft statue of YSR made by
sculptor Shivaprasad with his trademark raised hand waving to
people with landscaping forms the main component of the
Rs.13 crore project on a 22.20 acre site acquired outside the
forest and on the Nandyal-Atmakur road.
Theme gardens like neem - a personal favourite of YSR,
fragrance garden, ‘pavitra vanam' of 108 sacred plants,
butterfly shaped garden with 150 species of carefully chosen
plants to attract butterflies, fragrance garden, cafeteria, etc.,
are in the final stages at the site, a four-hour drive from here
(300 kilometres).
YSR statue is positioned aesthetically behind a water curtain.
From a 60 ft viewing tower under construction a clear view of
the helicopter crash site on the hillock is visible with help of
‘spotting scopes' (bigger version of binoculars) is a highlight.
Save for a cross where his body was found, there is nothing
else at the crash site located amidst thick hillock vegetation.
An interpretation hall to showcase forest flora and fauna,
theatre hall for eco education are among the facilities in the
memorial with an imposing entrance. “More than 100 people
worked almost round-the-clock since June 2010, 90 per cent of
the project has been completed. We will be ready by June,”
avers Project Director N. Chandramohan Reddy.
Lot of care was taken to plan and execute the work especially
the memorial designed by Mumbai-based architect Kishore
Pradhan. A special power line was drawn across 10 km to the
site and a golf course like drain facility to empty excess water
was built.
Adjacent to the memorial, 3,500 acres of Velugodu reserve
forest was notified for the ‘Smruthi Vanam'. Besides, measures
to protect the grassland ecosystem from cattle, fire and
humans, it will have a 100 acre bio-diversity park as 210
diverse plants species were identified.
With no work at other two memorials, near Prasads Imax and
Idupulapaya, YSR ‘Smruthi Vanam' progress makes it quite
remarkable during these political times.