Decks cleared for 108-feet-tall Kempegowda statue near Bengaluru airport

Work on constructing a mammoth 108-ft bronze statue of Bengaluru founder Kempegowda near the city’s international airport will be flagged off on June 27.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Kempegowda Development Authority on Friday.

“June 27 marks the 511st anniversary of Kempegowda. That’s the reason we have fixed the foundation stone laying ceremony on that day,” Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan, who is the vice-president of the Kempegowda Development Authority, said.

The government has roped in sculptors Ram V Sutar and Anil R Sutar to design the Kempegowda statue. The Statue of Unity in Gujarat, hailed as the world’s tallest at 597 feet, was designed by Ram V Sutar. He also designed the 27-ft Mahatma Gandhi statue between Vidhana Soudha and Vikas Soudha.

“The statue is estimated to cost Rs 66 crore. The model is ready, which will be finalized after the chief minister clears it. We want to finish the (statue) work in one year’s time,” Narayan said.

A 23-acre land in front of the Kempegowda International Airport in Devanahalli has been identified for the statue. “The Bengaluru International Airport Ltd has given clearance for the work to start,” Narayan said. “The area around the statue will be specially developed. The total cost will be about Rs 80 crore and it will be one of the prime attractions.”

The government is also working on conserving and beautifying Kempegowda’s tomb in Kempapura in Magadi taluk of the Ramanagara district. “A plan worth Rs 41 crore has been prepared,” Narayan, the Ramanagara district in-charge minister, said. “The area surrounding the tomb, including the village lake, will be developed. For this, we need to acquire some land that will cost an estimated Rs 17 crore.”

While Kempegowda is a cultural icon, the 16th century chieftain also gives the ruling BJP an opportunity to woo the dominant Vokkaliga community to which he belonged. This, especially after the BJP managed to win the KR Pet assembly constituency in December last, the saffron party’s first victory in the Vokkaliga heartland of Mandya where the JD(S) is known to hold sway.