A 40-feet Buddha statue is likely to be installed atop Seethamma Hill opposite Indra Keladri in Vijayawada city.
The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) has been planning to build India’s tallest Buddha statue as a major tourist attraction in the city, the managing director M. Girija Shankar said on Friday.
A consultant will be appointed for preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the technicality and feasibility in this regard, after which tenders will be floated.
The proposed statue will be a new attraction for both domestic and foreign tourists, the APTDC MD said. He added that a 45-feet statue of Lord Buddha is located in Bhutan.
“Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu who is keen on development of archeological sites and Buddhist circuits, has asked the corporation to take immediate initiatives,’’ Girija Shankar told The Hans India.
He also plans to invite the Dalai Lama for the Kalachakra which will be held in Amaravati in Guntur district either in December 2017 or in January 2018, with the hope of popularising the Buddhist shrines in the State.
The Deccan Chronicle reported that around Rs 100 crore has been earmarked for development of five Buddhist shrines at Thotlakonda, Bavikonda, Sankaram, Salihundam and Bojjannakonda in Vizag and Srikakulam districts.
The corporation has hired a London-based consultant, Raj Singh, for cruise tourism in the backwaters of Godavari and from Visakhapatnam to Baruva (Srikakulam).
The corporation also plans to focus on water sports in a big way by launching heli-tourism and seaplane sorties.
It was reported that a master plan is being prepared for the development of all beaches in the state right from Itchapuram to Tada and Konaseema.
Meanwhile, hotels, resorts and restaurants would be built all along the highway.
Similarly, the corporation has been making plans to build cottages in Lambasingi for which an amount of Rs 40 crore would be spent over the next five years.
“The Visakhapatnam – Araku Vistadome (see through glass) rail coaches were expected to be delivered soon. Cottages would be constructed at Lambasingi”, Girija Shankar told The Hindu.