Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday laid the foundation stone of 108 feet tall statue of Lord Shri Ram in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh through video conferencing. The statue will be built at a cost of over 500 crore rupees. In his address, Mr. Shah said the statue to be installed in Mantralayam will give the message of Sanatan Dharma to the entire world, and it will strengthen the Vaishnava tradition.
 
The Home Minister said this project is spread over an area of 10 acres in Mantralayam village. It would be completed in two and a half years. He said the village is very famous for the temple of Raghavendra Swamy and the place has historical significance. He informed that under the Mantralayam Das Sahitya Prakalp, many initiatives, such as housing, Anna Daanam, Pran Daanam, Vidya Daanam, drinking water and cow protection have been taken.