Buddha Statue of Hyderabad

The Buddha Statue of Hyderabad is an 18-metre monolithic white granite statue standing on the Rock of Gibraltar in the middle of Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad, Telangana. Installed in 1992, it is one of the tallest monolithic Buddha statues in India. Accessible only by boat from Lumbini Park, the statue is illuminated in the evening and is a major landmark offering panoramic views of the lake and city skyline.

Visitors reach the statue by a short motorboat or speedboat ride from Lumbini Park to the Rock of Gibraltar island in Hussain Sagar Lake. On the island, visitors can view the 18-metre white granite Buddha statue in standing Abhaya Mudra pose up close, walk around the platform, take photographs, and enjoy panoramic views of the lake, Necklace Road and Hyderabad skyline. The statue is illuminated after sunset and boating is the main activity.

Conceived in the 1980s by then Chief Minister N. T. Rama Rao, the statue was sculpted by temple architect and sculptor S.M. Ganapathi Sthapathi. Carved from a single white granite rock from Raigiri, Nalgonda, over five years by artisans, it weighs about 320 tonnes and is 18 metres tall. It was transported to Hyderabad and installed on the Rock of Gibraltar in Hussain Sagar in 1992 after an initial accident during installation when it capsized and was later salvaged and erected.

The statue depicts Gautama Buddha in Abhaya Mudra, symbolizing peace and non-violence. It is a major cultural and tourist landmark of Hyderabad and Telangana, representing Buddhist heritage and the city's secular identity, and is a focal point for visitors to Hussain Sagar Lake.