India, April 14 -- A day ahead of Bhimrao Ambedkar's 135th birth anniversary on April 14, the Indu mill compound in Worli was abuzz with activity. A life size thermocol statue of Ambedkar, which will serve as a reference for the upcoming 230-feet tall statue of the icon, stood on the pedestal, surrounded by workers busy with fabrication and ancillary works such as a lecture hall, multi-level parking lot, auditorium and library.

"We have completed 20% work on the pedestal and statue and 85% of the ancillary works inside the compound," said an official from Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is executing the project to build a grand memorial to Ambedkar.

Prime minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation sto...