Vijayawada: Gandhi Hill badly needs a facelift

Vijayawada: Gandhi Hill, the memorial for Mahatma Gandhi, built on a hillock on the other side of the railway station in the city, has been waiting for a saviour to come out of the dark it has been in for the last several decades.

The then President of India, Dr Zakir Hussain, formally unveiled the 150-metre stupa built on the hillock in 1968. Since then, Gandhi Hill has become a major attraction for the tourists and citizens of the city for over a decade.

The seven deadly sins propagated by Gandhiji throughout his life—wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, science without humanity, knowledge without character, politics without principles, commerce without morality and worship without sacrifice—were carved on the stupa to highlight how he led his life.

The visitors need to walk around the stupa to enjoy the scenic beauty of Vijayawada city—the congested old city on one side and the biggest railway junction which connects the north and south India on the other side.

A good library with books on the life of Gandhiji, a planetarium at the foot of the hill to educate children, a toy train to give tourists joy ride round the top of the hill were other attractions. There used to be a light and sound show.

Unfortunately, except the toy train all other attractions have become defunct. The library wears a deserted look. The planetarium stopped functioning. A physics lecturer who used to educate children on the planetary and star position has retired and there is no one to replace him.

The light and sound show programme which was introduced to narrate the freedom struggle and the life of Gandhiji to the visitors is in ruins now.

Over the period, the going has become difficult for the management of Gandhi Hill with few visitors turning up to enjoy the evenings. The planetarium has become defunct.

It is high time the past glory of Gandhi Hill is restored to make the generation next to be aware of the greatness of Gandhiji.