Now, 120-feet Vivekananda statue near Bengaluru

standing tall

Inspired by the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Statue of Unity in Gujarat, the state government has proposed a statue of Swami Vivekananda that will come up near the Muthyala Maduvu water fall in Jigani on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

Housing Minister V Somanna announced Saturday that the Vivekananda statue will be 120 feet tall.

“The idea is inspired by the basic element of the Sardar Patel statue situated on a water body. The statue has been able to augment tourism. We wanted to take up a similar initiative in the interest of tourism,” Somanna told DH.

The Vivekananda statue plan is part of the Karnataka Housing Board’s (KHB) plan to develop Muthyala Maduvu as a tourist destination. “There’s water there. We’ll have waterfalls. It’s very nice,” Somanna said. “People come to the Bannerghatta National Park. This place is about 10-12 km from the national park. Tourists who come there, can visit this statue, too,” he said.

The statue will be housed on a three-acre plot as part of the Prime Minister’s Township the KHB is developing under the Surya Nagar 4th Phase residential scheme.

Although the cost of the statue was yet to be finalised, preliminary work had begun and a basic idea of the requisite architecture was already in place, Somanna said. “The work is likely to be completed in a year’s time."