Prime Minister Narendra Modi would unveil the 108 feet of Kempegowda’s bronze statue at the Bengaluru airport on November 11 announced by Karnataka minister CN Ashwathnarayan. “The people of Karnataka have been demanding a Kempegowda statue for a very long time. It is called the statue of prosperity because it will reflect how Bengaluru, which was built by Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, “ he said.
Kempegowda was a close aide of King Krishnadevaraya under the Vijayanagara empire. He provided financial assistance to build Bengaluru city and erected forts around its periphery in the late 1530s for its protection.
The government is spending ₹84 crores to erect the Kempegowda statue and to develop a Theme Park at the airport. The statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda who was the founder of Bengaluru city will be called the “Statute of Prosperity”.
Meanwhile, ahead of the unveiling ceremony of the 108ft bronze statue of the founder of Bengaluru Kempegowda at the premises of Bengaluru International Airport. The CM Mr. Basavaraj Bommai, has launched a 45-day campaign in which mud will be collected from lakes, ponds, kalyanis, rivers, pushkarinis and streams from all villages in the state. Mud will also be collected from the homes of achievers in various areas across the state. This would be used in the development of the theme park which houses the statue.
A look back;
It was in 2019 that then Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced plans to spend nearly Rs 100 crore to install a bronze statue of Kempegowda at the city’s international airport. The current Chief Minister Bommai, who took the plan forward, said that the statue was built for Rs 64 crore and will be unveiled in the coming months.
The Urban Development Department (UDD) has taken the step of seeking exemption under Section 4(G) of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act to award a contract for the work to KNK Construction Private Limited. The firm will be tasked to develop the 23-acre heritage park dotted with water fountains, a cascading waterbody, lighting, and landscaping, among others. The project is executed by the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Heritage Area Development Authority, established to conserve and develop 46 Kempegowda heritage sites, tourist spots, and monuments
About the theme park
The theme park at Bengaluru airport spread over 23 acres will be developed in two phases; the first phase will be completed in 9 months, for which 20 crore has been sanctioned.
The theme park will include an amphitheater, pathway, subway, AV exhibition system, 3D projection, fountain, flower garden, VIP lounge, restrooms, kiosks, modern tiles, pavilions, concrete walls, etc. Also, a Kempegowda Study Center will be set up. at Bangalore University at the cost of 50 crores.
Important points about the Statue
- The construction project of the theme park has been entrusted to a firm named KNK Construction Pvt Ltd.
- Karnataka Government has launched a 45-day campaign to collect the mud from various places across the state.
- Soil from 31 different districts will be collected in Bengaluru for the construction of the theme park.
- ‘Statue of Prosperity’, which is 108 feet tall, is made of bronze and is accompanied by a 4000 kg heavy sword.
The state government has named it the Statue of Prosperity modeled after Sardar Patel’s Statue of Unity in Gujarat. Since Kempegowda, a chief of Yelahanka considered the founder of Bengaluru, developed about 1,000 lakes in the city to meet drinking water needs and for agricultural needs, the state government named the statue as “Statue of prosperity.”
‘This is the country of Kempegowda. The airport bears his name. The statue would be a symbol of state progress. Kempegowda Is a great visionary who built Bengaluru When Bengauluru grows at a rapid pace, his statue will be an inspiration for all government development work,’ said Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Watch this space for more updates on statue unveiling…