Narayana Reddy s statue to come up on Hyderabad s Tank Bund

Hyderabad June 13 (IANS) The statue of legendary Telugu poet writer and lyricist C. Narayana Reddy who died here on Monday will be installed on Tank Bund on the banks of the Hussain Sagar lake here Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said.

He made the announcement after visiting Reddy s house here to pay his last respects.

This will be the latest addition to the series of statues of over 30 icons of Telugu culture installed on Tank Bund from the 1980s by then Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh N.T. Rama Rao.

Describing Reddy as the doyen of Telugu literature Chandrasekhar Rao said the government will also install a bronze statue of Reddy in Hanumajipet of Karimnagar district the birth place of the Jnanpith awardee.

He told reporters that the government will also build a museum and a cultural auditorium dedicated to the memory of Reddy in Hyderabad.

Chandrasekhar Rao said an institute or a university would also be named after the great poet in recognition of his contribution to the Telugu literature.

Terming Reddy s death an irreparable loss to Telugu culture the Chief Minister said he brought glamour to poetry.

He said the government would make all transport arrangements from different parts of the state to enable people to reach Hyderabad to attend the last rites of Reddy on Wednesday.

Popular in literary circles as Cinare Reddy died of illness at age 85. He penned around 3 500 songs for Telugu films.

Cinarea¿ who also served as a Rajya Sabha member had to his credit more than 80 publications.

--IANS
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