Telangana Martyrs Memorial
Also known as: Gun Park Memorial, Amara Veerula Stupam, Martyrs Stupa Saifabad
Sculpted by prominent artist Aekka Yadagiri Rao, this 25-foot black granite monument in Gun Park stands opposite the State Assembly as the poignant memorial commemorating the 369 student martyrs of the 1969 Telangana agitation.
History & Story
In the aftermath of the 1969 Telangana statehood movement in which 369 students and youths were killed during police crackdowns, the student union and citizens commissioned a permanent memorial in Gun Park, directly facing the State Legislative Assembly.
Sculpted by renowned Osmania University fine arts professor Aekka Yadagiri Rao, the 25-foot black granite monument carries profound symbolic allegories: a solid square base representing the steadfast collective resolve of the people, a central rising shaft adorned with a 9-petal lotus flower signifying the original 9 districts of Telangana, bullet indentations symbolizing state sacrifice, and a pristine white marble crown atop the stupa representing eternal peace and immortality for the martyrs. It remains the most politically and emotionally resonant monument of contemporary Hyderabad.