Gandhi Memorial Pillars to come up at 87 sites across Karnataka

CM unveils a pillar in Bengaluru on Gandhi Jayanti Day; Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj executing project
Mysuru: Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar yesterday unveiled a Memorial Pillar (Gandhi Smaraka Stambha) dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi at the historic Government Arts College on Ambedkar Veedhi in Bengaluru, where Gandhiji visited in 1915. It was his first visit to Karnataka when the institution was a high school.
Similar pillars will be installed at 87 locations across the State to commemorate places visited by Gandhiji. The initiative is part of the ‘Gandhi Bharat Centenary’ programme held in 2024 to mark 100 years since the Congress Session was held in Belagavi in 1924 under Gandhi’s presidency.
The memorials will come up at places visited by Gandhiji, including Bengaluru, Belagavi, Mysuru (1927), Badanavalu in Nanjangud (1934), Hassan and Mandya districts. The work is being executed by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj’s Kashyap Shilpa Kala Niketan.

The pillars are being carved from granite brought from Andhra Pradesh. Each pillar has Hoysala-style columns and arches forming a Prabhavali (halo frame). The top features a four-headed lion emblem and the Ashoka Chakra, while the central portion depicts Gandhi seated in a meditative posture. The lower section has a carving of the spinning wheel (charkha).
The pillars will also carry Gandhiji’s message of the ‘Seven Social Sins’ — wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice and politics without principle.
Each pillar is 10 feet tall, with 2 feet embedded in a concrete foundation and 8 feet visible above ground. It is 3.25 feet wide and one foot thick. Civil works at the memorial sites, estimated at Rs. 5.09 crore, are being taken up by the Public Works Department.
Sculptor Arun Yogiraj said the granite brought from Andhra Pradesh was chosen for its durability and low maintenance.
“The granite will last 500 years and requires minimal maintenance. We chose it after consulting the Lalit Kala Akademi President. We have been working for eight months and most of the work is complete,” he said.
Speaking after unveiling the pillar, Shivakumar described the initiative as an effort to keep alive the ideals of sacrifice and non-violence. He said the memorials would serve as a lasting reminder to the younger generation and help spread Gandhi’s message of truth and peace.