* Sathya (truth) Dharma (righteousness) Santhi (peace) Prema

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Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh with a 
population of 6.3 million and an area of 260 sq.km has been 
described as “Panchavani Sangam,’ a place where five 
linguistic and cultural streams meet. Here Telugu, Marathi, 
Kannada, Tamil and Urdu have mingled and enriched a 
city famous for its “Nawabf graciousness”. In this beautiful 
capital city and surrounding cities ECC has created several 
monuments of excellence.
Sri Sathya Sai Nigamagamam
The Sri Sathya Sai Nigamagamam, a modern 
Kalyanamandapam (marriage hall) cum multipurpose 
auditorium for Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Puttaparthi bears 
the ECC stamp. The architecture, design and construction 
was entrusted to L&T ECC which engaged Mr.R. Chakrapani 
as the consulting architect for the project who shaped the 
suggestions of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba into a concrete 
reality. Work commenced in August 1991. It was inaugurated 
by the then Prime Minister, Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao on August 
29, 1992.
The auditorium and balcony, arranged in an octagonal shape, 
has a seating capacity of 1,500 around a stage. An interesting 
design feature of the auditorium roof is that it consists of 
an octagonal concrete compression ring having a height of 
3 m rising to a height of 16.5 m above the auditorium floor 
level and connected with sixteen concrete beams spanning 
between columns/circumferential beams and compression 
ring. An octogonal dome and 16 upper curved shells form 
the roof of the auditorium. Sixteen lower curved shells 
form the balcony roof. The dining hall roof consists of an 
interesting grid slab pattern of radial beams and intermediate 
circumferential beams.
Enriching the Monumental 
Beauty of Hyderabad
Front view of the spectacular ‘Sri Sathya 
Sai Nigamagamam’ (Kalyana Mandapam), 
which won the FIP Award for the Most 
Outstanding Concrete Structure - 1994 at 
the Washington Congress. 
 Right: 
 Inside 
view of the auditorium.  
Extreme right:  
Grand entrance lobby showing the columns 
and waffles.
I was involved with the architecture of Sri Sathya 
Nigamagamam, Hyderabad including a host of other 
structures in Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi.
My association with L&T also extends beyond 
30 years. The principal strength of L&T is taking 
up challenges and carrying out tasks that are 
“impossible”. The speed and quality of L&T work 
has been excellent and has culminated in many 
Landmark and Iconic Structures. The engineering and 
construction teams have high professional efficiency, 
unparalleled in the industry.
L&T has been the nodal force in transforming the 
designs into reality in record time and quality using 
pioneering systems and innovation. This contribution 
from L&T was the underlying factor for Bhagawan’s 
extended confidence in this team.
The highlight of this association for me was when 
Bhagawan personally performed the wedding of 
my son Ar. C. Vijay Ram with Ar. Priya Ram in His 
chamber.
Mr. R. Chakrapani, R. Chakrapani & Sons (Architects 
& Engineers)

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86
Construction of the auditorium was very complex. The site 
being located on a rocky terrain, L&T had to resort to heating 
of rock using firewood for excavation without disturbing the 
adjacent structures. L&T also resorted to single hole drill 
blast at a time for rock excavation. A central acrow tower 
and sixteen radial beam towers were simultaneously erected 
for stability. Concreting was completed in sequence, taking 
up compression ring, radial beams and curved shells one 
after another. The whole staging was deshuttered only after 
completion of sixteen shells. The air volume covered within 
the auditorium/balcony was 1.5 lakh cu.ft which was an 
achievement in itself. 
ECC’s contract also involved plumbing, sanitary, electrical 
and air-cooling works. The multipurpose auditorium consists 
of centrally air-cooled dining hall, auditorium and balconies. 
The main auditorium has an annexe block consisting of 
kitchen, marriage party rooms and green rooms, plant room 
and electrical sub-station buildings to cater to air-cooling and 
power requirement of the auditorium.
The quantum of work involved 3,000 cu.m of excavation (soft 
rock/hard rock), 5,000 cu.m of concreting, 18,000 sq.m of 
shuttering, 310 t of reinforcement steel, 1,200 cu.m of brick 
work, 21,000 sq.m of painting, 5,000 sq.m of ceramic tiles 
and 2,000 sq.m of marble flooring/cladding. 
Sri Sathya Sai Auditorium, apart from its functional aspect 
has also transformed into a tourist attraction owing to its 
fascinating architecture. It has been placed on the list of 
important places to be visited in Hyderabad along with 
Charminar, Mecca Masjid, Falaknuma Palace and Salarjung 
Museum. Another facet of importance is that Sri Sathya 
Sai Auditorium was accorded a special mention for its 
engineering excellence by FIP – Federation Internationale 
de la Precontrainte, an international organisation for the 
development of structural concrete, based in London, UK.
I have been associated with Sri Sathya Sai 
Nigamagamam, Hyderabad, for the past 18 years.   
It gives me pleasure to place on record the 
excellence of the buildings constructed by L&T.  
Architecturally the buildings of Sri Sathya Sai 
Nigamagamam constitute an excellent blend of 
architecture and modernity. 
Justice Y.V. Anjaneyulu, Former Judge of Andhra 
Pradesh High Court  and  Member, Law Commission 
of India, New Delhi

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