History is being made at a village in Andhra Pradesh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending the event. Foundation stone is being laid for Amaravati - the new capital of the divided state - at Uddandarayunipalem on the banks of the river Krishna.
The grand event is being attended by over four lakh people, besides ministers from Singapore and Japan - experts from the two countries are being consulted about the city plans -- ambassadors from 14 countries, central ministers, top politicians, judges, industrialists and celebrities.
PM Modi first visited the Amaravati Pavilion, created to highlight the history and culture of the place. Then he laid the foundation stone at an auspicious time set by astrologers.
When Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh last year, it was decided that the two states will share the capital of undivided Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, for a period of 10 years. But after that, Telangana will get to retain Hyderabad, while Andhra Pradesh will shift to a new capital.
Though the decision caused much bitterness in Andhra Pradesh, Mr Naidu converted it to an opportunity to build what he called the "city of the future".
In Hindu mythology, Amaravati is said to the capital of Indra, the king of Gods. In history, Amaravati, situated in Guntur district, was once the seat of power of Satavahana rulers. Mr Naidu, too, plans a capital as grand.
He said wants it to be a "people's capital" and a haven of opportunities.
At a call by the Chief Minister, soil and water from 16,000 villages of the state and prominent pilgrim centres across the country have been brought to be used for the construction of the new city. Yesterday, this soil and water was sprinkled over the area where the capital city is to be built, as a symbol of collective participation.
To that end, Mr Naidu has also asked each person to buy a single brick for the new capital.
Mr Naidu has personally invited several union ministers and Governor ESL Narasimhan. Setting aside the bitterness in their relations due to cash-for-vote scam, he also met his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao and invited him for the event.
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