'Develop Kempegowda tomb as tourist destination'

Members of the Rajya Vokkaliga Sangha will take out a padayatra on November 30 to urge the State government to convert Kempegowda Samadhi as a major tourist attraction.

Addressing a press meet here on Tuesday, Sangha president Dr Appaji Gowda said that Nirmalanandanatha Swami of Adichunchangiri Mutt, Nanjavadhootha Swami and others seers will take part in the padayatra.

The padayatra will begin from the Kote Maramma temple, the family deity of Kempegowda’s family at 9.30 am and culminate at Kempapura, Gowda said. Recently, a team of experts from the Kempegowda Chair, Bangalore University, had confirmed that the tomb near Magadi belonged to Kempegowda, the founder of Bengaluru, who had died there in a battle.

The members of the Sangha demanded that the place should be converted into a learning centre and house a museum, to throw light on the achievements of the City’s founder. “The government is more interested in organising Tipu jayanti but not Kempegowda jayanti. It also plans to divide the strong Vokkaliga community on the lines of sub-castes, Gowda added.