4000-kg sword for Kempegowda statue arrives at Bengaluru airport

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, May 03, 2022: Bengaluru is all set to see a massive 108-feet tall statue of the city’s founder Kempegowda at the premises of the city’s international airport, which is also named after him. The work on this statue has been expedited with the arrival of a sword weighing as much as 4,000 kg, which will adorn the statue, from Delhi to Bengaluru. The massive sword arrived in a special truck from Delhi on Monday, May 2.

 

The 35-feet long sword was welcomed at the Bengaluru airport by Karnataka Minister of Higher Education Dr CN Ashwath Narayan. A special ceremony was held with a puja, and the minister stated that he also examined the progress of the construction works at the site that have taken place so far. Ashwath Narayan is also the vice chairman of the Kempegowda Development Authority.

 

.@BLRAirport ಆವರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣವಾಗುತ್ತಿರುವ ನಾಡಪ್ರಭು ಕೆಂಪೇಗೌಡರ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆಯ ಖಡ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ (35 ಅಡಿ ಉದ್ದ, 700ಕೆಜಿ ತೂಕ) ಪೂಜೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಲಾಯಿತು.

ಹಾಗೆಯೇ, ಪ್ರತಿಮೆ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣದ ಕಾಮಗಾರಿ ಪ್ರಗತಿ ಪರಿಶೀಲನೆ ನಡೆಸಲಾಯಿತು. pic.twitter.com/JHGg57Yl28

— Dr. Ashwathnarayan C. N. (@drashwathcn) May 2, 2022

The statue will come up on a 23-acre space at the airport, which will be a heritage park dedicated to showcasing Kempegowda. It will come up at a cost of about Rs 85 crore, and is expected to be complete by this year, according to Deccan Herald. The report also states that the statue is designed by famous Noida-based sculptor Ram Vanji Suttar, who is a Padma Bhushan awardee. Suttar is also known for designing the Statue of Unity depicting late statesman Vallabbhai Patel in Gujarat, as well as the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Vidhan Soudha in Bengaluru.

The foundation stone of the statue was laid in June 2020 on the 511th birth anniversary of the city’s founder. The statue was earlier scheduled to be unveiled by 2021, but the construction of the statue has been delayed.Born on June 27, 1510 in Magadi, Kempegowda built four towers in the north, south, east and west of the garden city, with a view to limiting its growth up to a point at 3,000-feet above the sea level. He also developed water bodies, including lakes and tanks for its supply to its people through the year.

Courtesy: The News Minute