PM Modi to unveil Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Statue at Bengaluru airport: Know height, development cost, other details

Nadaprabhu Kempegowda statue unveiling in Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil the 108 feet statue of Bengaluru founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda on Friday. The statue has been built to commemorate the contribution of Kempegowda towards the development of Bengaluru. This is the “first and tallest bronze statue of a founder of a city”, according to the World Book of Records.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai shared a certificate from the World Book of Records and wrote on Twitter, “A matter of pride for us that the Statue of Prosperity is the first and tallest bronze statue of a founder of a city as per World Book of Records. An apt tribute to Bengaluru’s founder Kempegowda. Standing at 108 ft, it symbolises his vision of a Global City.”

Called the Statue of Prosperity, the statue has been sculpted by Padma awardee Ram V Sutar using 98 tonnes of bronze and 120 tonnes of steel. Sutar is also known for building the Statue of Unity in Gujarat’s Kewadia and Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Bengaluru’s Vidhana Soudha. 

Watch: PM Modi At Bengaluru Airport New ‘Garden Terminal’, Kempegowda Statue

The Prime Minister inaugurated the swanky terminal 2 of the Kempegowda International Airport earlier in the day. He was also seen flagging off the Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat Express at the Kranthiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) railway station in Bengaluru.

Here’s what you need to know about the Kempegowda statue

- The statue installed at the Kempegowda International Airport is 108 feet high and weighs 220 tonnes. It has a sword that weighs 4 tonnes. 

- The statue has been installed inside the Bengaluru International Airport.  

- Kempegowda is known for his contribution to the development of Bengaluru, therefore, the statue has been named the Statue of Prosperity.

- The project comprising the Kempegowda statue and a 23-acre theme park dedicated to the 16th-century ruler has been built at a cost of around Rs 84 crore. 

- Karnataka Health Minister Dr Sudhakar K said it was former chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s idea to install a statue of prosperity after BJP formed the government in the state. 

- Mruthike or the sacred mud was collected from around 22,000 locations across Karnataka. The sacred mud was mixed with the mud below one of the four towers supporting the statue today. 

- Nadaprabhu Kempegowda was a ruler under the Vijayanagara Empire founded in 1537. He is widely respected by the Vokkaliga community dominant in Old Mysuru and other parts of southern Karnataka.

Also read: PM Modi to inaugurate terminal 2 of Kempegoda International airport in Bengaluru today; check routes to avoid