A sword weighing 4,000 kg that will adorn a 108-feet statue of Bengaluru founder Kempegowda arrived from Delhi on Monday.
The sword arrived in a special truck. It was welcomed with traditional rituals by Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, who is also vice-chairman of the Kempegowda Development Authority.
The government is spending Rs 85 crore on the Kempegowda statue that will be made of bronze. It will come up on a 23-acre space near the Kempegowda International Airport in Devanahalli, which will be a heritage park dedicated to the 16th century chieftain.
The statue is expected to be ready this year.
Renowned sculptor and Padma Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar is designing the Kempegowda statue. Sutar also designed the 597-feet Statue of Unity in Gujarat and the 27-feet Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Vidhana Soudha premises.
“Kempegowda’s sword signifies valour and a new India,” Narayan said.
While Kempegowda is a cultural icon, the chieftain also gives the ruling BJP an opportunity to woo the dominant Vokkaliga community to which he belonged.
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