Madikeri: The iconic bronze statue of General Kodandera S. Thimayya, which was toppled on Aug. 21, 2023, after a speeding KSRTC bus collided with it at the entrance of Madikeri town, will be reinstated tomorrow, Mar. 8, with full honours.

The statue of General Thimayya, a Padma Bhushan awardee who served as Chief of Army Staff from 1957 to 1961, was originally installed over 50 years ago. It was unveiled on 21.4.1973 by Field Marshal   Sam Manekshaw.

Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Venkat Raja, confirmed yesterday that the restored statue, which underwent repairs at the Shilpa Kala Academy in Mysuru, is now ready for reinstallation.

Renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj and his team, known for their work on the revered Balak Ram statue at the Ayodhya Sri Ram Temple, have meticulously restored the statue. During the collision, the statue fell onto the railings, causing sharp iron to pierce the bronze structure at multiple points resulting in cracks. However, the team has successfully repaired and restored the statue to its                                                              former glory.

The damaged Circle, also refurbished by the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL), eagerly awaits the return of the statue. Rs. 17 lakh has been spent on the statue restoration and the restoration of the damaged Circle. The restoration efforts received support from various quarters, including Madikeri MLA Manthar Gowda, Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna, Madikeri City Municipal Council, KSRTC and the Madikeri  Kodava Samaja.

Madikeri Kodava Samaja President and members told reporters yesterday that the statue will be brought from Mysuru in a decorated vehicle by the members of Mysuru Kodava Samaja and other ex-servicemen organisations and associations in a procession tomorrow and will be received by hundreds of community members who will gather at the Mysuru-Kodagu border at Kushalnagar.

Over 200 motorbikes will accompany the statue from Mysuru to Madikeri and the statue will be welcomed to Madikeri town at Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa Circle. The statue will be unveiled by Air Marshal (Retd.) Nanda Cariappa. Former Minister M.C. Nanaiah will preside as the                                               chief guest during the reinstallation ceremony.

Madikeri Kodava Samaja President M.P. Muthappa, Madikeri City Municipal Council Anitha Poovaiah and members K. Sampath, K. Viju Devaiah, C. Sanju and K. Appanna were present in the press conference.