JOIN USWadiyar statue at Hardinge Circle awaits unveiling
The statue of Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, the 25th and last maharaja of the erstwhile Mysore state, is awaiting the appointment of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, to be unveiled.
The Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), which has installed the nine-foot tall statue of the erstwhile ruler, had set its first deadline during last Dasara. Finally, the statue has been mounted inside a canopy, on an ornate pedestal, under a decorative dome at Hardinge Circle, popularly known as ‘Aar Gate’ as six roads converge there. The MCC had announced the unveiling of the statue by Siddaramaiah on June 19.
However, the programme had to be cancelled due to the political developments following the recent reshuffling of the state ministry.
The MCC authorities have been trying to seek the appointment of the chief minister to get his date. However, with the political developments taking new twists and turns everyday, the authorities have decided to dedicate the statue, sculpted by Arun Yogiraj, at least on the 97th birth anniversary of Jayachamaraja Wadiyar on July 18.
The MCC also had plans to make it a wedding gift for the scion of the erstwhile royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar by unveiling it in the last week of June. The scion is slated to marry Trishika Kumari, from an erstwhile royal family of Dungurpur in Rajasthan, on June 27.
Mayor B L Bhyrappa told Deccan Herald, “The initial plan was only to instal the statue at the Hardinge Circle, but, Commissioner C G Betsurmath visualised beautification of the circle on the lines of a few decorative assembly points in Chandigarh and in a couple of places in Rajasthan.”
“The initial estimate of Rs 40 lakh for the statue was revised to Rs 5 crore to beautify the sprawling circle. It includes a garden and an artificial waterfall on the space available next to the BSNL building. Ornate lamp posts have been erected around the circle to give it a heritage look. The MCC has also taken a decision to rename the circle as Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Circle,” he said.
With the completion of the works on the statue, it comes along a row of circles that are already decorated with the statues of the erstwhile rulers, Chamarajendra Wadiyar X (at Chamarajendra Wadiyar Circle) and Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar (at KR Circle), starting from the end of Mirza Ismail Road on Albert Victor Road.
DH News Service