Chief Minister to perform bhoomi puja on June 27

Bengaluru: The construction of the 108-feet-tall bronze statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, in front of the international airport here, will be initiated on June 27, said Deputy Chief Minister (Dy.CM) and Vice-President of the Kempegowda Development Authority, Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan.

Speaking after inspecting the 23-acre location where the statue will come up, the Dy.CM said that bhoomi puja will be performed by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on that day, which coincides with Nadaprabhu Kempegowda’s 511th Jayanti.

BBMP Commissioner Prakash and Airport Senior Officers were present during the inspection.

In a recent meeting, the Deputy Chief Minister had said that a model of the statue is ready and will be finalised after the approval of the Chief Minister. The work is expected to be completed in a year and the statue is estimated to cost around Rs. 66 crore, he said.

Anil and Ram Sutar, the renowned artist, who built the statue of Gandhiji in Bengaluru, will also build the Kempegowda statue and are expected to sign the contract soon. 

Dr. Ashwathnarayan further said, “With spending of Rs. 80 crore on the project, it will be one of the major attractions in the State.”

The International Airport Agency has agreed to commence work on the 23-acre site next to the statue, and the area will be developed in a special way. He added that Adec has prepared a comprehensive project report for both the projects.