Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Statue | Cost | Height | Material used | Location

PM Modi unveils Kempegowda's statue: Who was he and what is BJP's political calculation behind this move?

The 108 feet statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bengaluru on Friday (November 11) and unveiled a 108-feet tall bronze statue of 'Nadaprabhu' Kempegowda, credited with being the founder of the city. He also inaugurated Terminal 2 of the Kempegowda International Airport, which was built at a cost of around Rs 5,000 crore, and flagged off two trains, South India's first Vande Bharat Express and Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan train. ~Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced in June this year that a statue of Kempegowda would also be installed inside the Vidhan Soudha (Legislative Assembly) complex within a year.

Also termed the “Statue of Prosperity”, Bommai tweeted on Wednesday that the structure has been termed the “first and tallest bronze statue of a founder of a city” by the World Book of Records.

Who was Nadaprabhu Kempegowda?

The 16th century chieftain of the Vijayanagara Empire 'Nadaprabhu' Kempegowda is credited as the founder of Bangalore.

• Kempegowda, a feudal ruler under the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire, founded Bengaluru in 1537.

• He is especially revered by the Vokkaliga community which is prominent in old Mysore and other parts of southern Karnataka.

• Kempegowda is credited with ending the practice of cutting off the fingers of an unmarried woman's left hand. , which is known as 'Bandi Devaru', an important practice of the Morasu Vokkaligas.

• He died in 1569 after ruling for nearly 56 years.

• State governments followed him. Important landmarks have dedicated Kempegowda International Airport, Kempegowda Bus Stand, and Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Metro Station.

When was the airport statue of Kempegowda planned?

The 108-foot-tall statue, which has earned the honor of being "the first and tallest bronze statue of a city's founder", has been constructed in a 23-acre heritage park at the Kempegowda International Airport, where the new Terminal 2 is also inaugurated. 

Called the 'Statue of Prosperity', it weighs 218 tonnes 98 tonnes of bronze and 120 tonnes of steel and also has a sword weighing four tonnes, which was transported from Delhi to Bengaluru airport last month in a special truck was brought.

The cost of the statue is around Rs 84 crore and it has been made by renowned sculptor and Padma Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar, the man responsible for the Statue of Unity in Gujarat and the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru.

'Statue. 'Of Prosperity' has also made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first and tallest statue of the city's founder. The world record-setting statue was announced by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on 9 November.

The plan to install the statue at the airport was announced by the previous Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa in September 2019. The announcement was made after massive protests by the Vokkaliga community in Bengaluru over alleged targeting of its members, including Congress leader DK. Shivakumar and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy were handed over by the central investigative agencies.

Why is the BJP installing Kempegowda statues?

After Lingayats, Vokkaligas are the second most influential community in Karnataka and Kempegowda is its most iconic figure. Since the BJP never got a clear majority in the 223-member Karnataka Assembly, it will try to attract Vokkaligas this time. has endorsed.

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