43 and counting: Statues around Hussainsagar mark shift from Telugu pride to social icons

Since Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy took office, 43 statues have been unveiled around Hussainsagar, marking a shift from Telugu pride to honoring social icons. Initially, on May 29, 2026, a statue of famed film star and former chief minister N.T. Rama Rao was inaugurated at Ameerpet. Subsequently, in August 14, a statue of reformist couple Savitribai and Jyotiba Phule was dedicated at Khairatabad flyover.

These statues, alongside those of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and P.V. Narasimha Rao, as well as B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, have transformed the Hussainsagar area. The newest addition, Sarvai Papanna, also known as Papadu, a Robin Hood-like figure revered by the BC community, was completed in just one-and-a-half months using advanced CNC technology.

Papadu, who stole from the wealthy and distributed among the lower class, bears comparison to the legend of Robin Hood in England. The presence of these statues has transformed Hussainsagar, Tank Bund, and Necklace Road into a popular tourist destination. Families and tourists often stop at the Ambedkar statue, take photographs, and occasionally try to get a selfie with the statue.

Some even take a boat ride to reach the statue of Gautam Buddha. Previously, there were no statues near Hussainsagar until 1989 when Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao initiated the Telugu pride project, which resulted in 33 statues. However, with the rise of statues such as Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule, Savitribai, and Papadu, the area now boasts a diverse array of figures, many with broader appeal.