Mysore/Mysuru: Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Devegowda (GTD) said that following public demand, a statue of Sharada Devi will be installed at Sharadadevinagar in the city.

He was speaking at Sharada Maate Jayanthyotsava organised under the aegis of Sharada Maate Seva Pratishtana and Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Seva Pratishtana at Sharadadevinagar Circle here yesterday.

Stating that former MLC D. Madegowda should be credited for formation of layouts such as Ramakrishnanagar, Sharadadevinagar and Vivekanandanagar when he served as the Chairman of the then CITB (now MDA), GTD said that these layouts have wide roads, circles and junctions. “I have strived for the widening and development of Sharadadevinagar Circle with help from officials. There has been a long public demand for installation of Sri Sharada Devi statue at this Circle, which is to be fulfilled soon,” he said.

MLA T.S. Srivatsa said that though Sharada Devi was the wife of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, he always saw her in the form of mother. The service rendered by Sharada Devi for mankind when the plague pandemic broke out in Bengal cannot be described in words, he noted.

Hindi writer Dr. Leela Prakash too spoke on the occasion.

Sri Ramakrishna Ashram Mysuru President Swami Muktidanandaji graced the occasion.

Earlier, floral tributes were offered to the portrait of Sharada Devi and a grand procession of the portrait was taken out on the main thoroughfares of Sharadadevinagar.

Pratishtana President Dr. S.P. Yoganna, Convenor Nirmala Harish, MCC Zone-3 Assistant Commissioner Sandeep, Development Officer T.N. Satyamurthy, BJP leader B.M. Raghu, Rameshrao Rampure, A.P. Virupaksha, Puttaswamy,  Shekar, H.G. Rajamani, Rakesh Bhat, Kumar, Harish, Basavaraju, Manjunath, Govindappa, Pradeep, Nanjundappa, Ravi, Santosh, Kempalingaraju, Purushotham, Basavanna and others were present at the programme in honour of Sharada Devi.