KCP Infra Limited, which is executing part of the Smart City Project in Coimbatore for the City Corporation, is all set to unveil a unique statue of Thiruvalluvar, the celebrated Tamil poet, and philosopher. The Thiruvalluvar statue is being installed on the Kurichi lakebed. The Lake is being given a massive facelift at a cost of about Rs. 52 crores.
Designed and implemented by KCP Infra the Thiruvalluvar statue project is unique and is one of its kind projects in India. The Thiruvalluvar statue is 15 feet wide, 25 feet high and 20 feet long, weighing 2.50 tonnes.
This sculpture has been created with 1330 Tamil characters in honour of 1330 Thirukkural written by Thiruvalluvar. The uniqueness of the statue is that the entire structure is made of steel and designed with Tamil characters (alphabets) – 12 Uyir eḻuttu, 18 mey eḻuttu, 216 uyirmey eḻuttu, 1 ayuta eḻuttu for a total of 247 eḻuttukkaḷ (alphabets).
Each of the Tamil letter/s, made of quality steel, is interlaced/interlocked in different shapes to reflect the sun’s rays on the idol. Infrastructure engineers from various part of India with statue-making expertise were tasked to design and execute the same.
Commenting on the Thiruvalluvar Statue project, K. Chandra Prakash, Managing Director, KCP Infra Ltd. said, “This statue, made of Tamil letters, is expected to be a unique landmark not only for Coimbatore but for India.” Also, he pointed out, the statue has been designed with four secret words, which need to be searched and found.
Further, he said, there are several statues of Thiruvalluvar worldwide, but this statue is one of its kind where Tamil letters are used to showcase the legacy of not only the language but also the great poet. “This is the first time in Tamil history that Thiruvalluvar sculpture has been erected with Tamil characters.”
