Doesn’t resemble late leader, say many; sculptors cite daughter’s supervision

Mysore/Mysuru: A day after the unveiling of the statue of former Chief Minister late D. Devaraj Urs at the premises of the new Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Siddarthanagar, Mysuru, dissenting voices have emerged over the statue’s appearance, which many say bears little resemblance to Devaraj Urs.

The sculptors of the statue, who preferred to remain anonymous, distanced themselves from the controversy, attributing the statue’s final form to the directions of Urs’ daughter, Bharati Urs, who supervised the sculpting work from start to finish.

“From the head to the fingers, and from physical features like shoulders to the draping of the dhoti, every detail was shaped as per the instructions of Bharati Urs,” the sculptors clarified.

Daughter’s role

They explained that the tender for the work was secured through Nirmiti Kendra under the Department of Kannada and Culture, based on a photograph provided by the Mysuru District Administration.

A dummy model was prepared accordingly, but Bharati Urs rejected it and supplied another photograph for reference. The statue was then sculpted under her guidance, with regular corrections made as per her advice.

“She inspected the statue several times and gave final approval before it was shifted to the DC Office premises. She even appreciated our work, saying this statue was better compared to those at Hunsur, Kallahalli — his native place — and Bengaluru,” the sculptors said.

They further stated that when asked about her social media remarks, Bharati clarified she had merely echoed others’ opinions and had not blamed the sculptors.

Corrective measures on cards?

Meanwhile, MLC A.H. Vishwanath said that since many people have expressed similar views, the statue should be corrected at the earliest.

He recalled that even the statue of Urs installed at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru had drawn criticism for resembling former Pandavapura MLA H. Kempegowda — a likeness first pointed out by pro-Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj.

Narasimharaja MLA and former Minister Tanveer Sait said he plans to write to the Department of Kannada and Culture, urging corrective action.

President of the D. Devaraj Urs Prathime Pratishtapana Samiti, Zakir Hussain, echoed the sculptors’ view, stating that while minor variations are common in statue works, the final outcome was satisfactory.

It may be recalled that even Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, during the unveiling ceremony, had remarked that the statue appeared quite different from the late leader Devaraj Urs.