The majestic granite statue depicting Yakshagana unveiled by Mangaluru International Airport Ltd. at the departure area of Mangaluru International Airport.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Mangaluru: Mangaluru International Airport Limited has unveiled a granite statue depicting Yakshagana at the departure area of Mangaluru International Airport.
The statue is part of the airport’s ongoing efforts to integrate local art into its public spaces, creating a culturally immersive experience for passengers and visitors alike. The statue presents a youthful look of calm demeanour, offering travellers and visitors a ringside view into the region’s vibrant artistic traditions.
Standing tall at 10.25 ft and mounted on a 3-ft pedestal, the statue weighs approximately four tonnes. It is a tribute to the traditional folk-art form of Yakshagana, known for its elaborate costumes, expressive dance, and mythological storytelling.
The artwork is the creation of Himanshu Kumar (38), a sculptor from Bihar who has made Karnataka his home and embraced its culture as a naturalised Tuluva. Himanshu leads Akrathi Shilpa Kala, a studio renowned for its craftsmanship and dedication to preserving Indian art forms. In just 64 days, Himanshu and his team completed the statue, reflecting both their skill and commitment.
The airport already boasts of a lenticular wall that presents a peep into the fishing harbour at Bunder, as it looked 100 years ago and now. The airport also has a figurine of a fisherman rowing a boat, the famed ‘pili vesha’, Yakshagana figurines — all at the domestic arrival hall, and a figurine of ‘Kambala’, the famed local folk sport, at the lower ground floor arrival hall.