Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil the 108 feet bronze statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda on Friday.
The bronze statue, the “Statue of Prosperity”, was built to commemorate the contribution of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, the founder of the city, towards the growth of Bengaluru.
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“Conceptualized and sculpted by Ram V Sutar of Statue of Unity fame, 98 tonnes of bronze and 120 tonnes of steel have gone into making this statue,” PMO said.
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Who is Nadaprabhu Kempegowda?
Nadaprabhu Hiriya Kempe Gowda, also known as Kempegowda, is regarded as the founder of the Karnataka capital Bengaluru.
Kempegowda was a chieftain under the Vijayanagara Empire and is credited with fortifying the area in 1537, which went on to become the modern-day Bengaluru.
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Kempegowda was one of the most well-educated and successful rulers of his time. Being a successor of descendants of Morasu Gowda lineage started as Yelahankanadu Prabhus.
As per historical records, Kempegowda was born in 1510 and after succeeding his father as the chieftain, he captured many nearby princely states and consolidated them into one.
Bengaluru and Kempegowda
In 1537 he fortified the city and is also credited with constructing several lakes and other water bodies that are still crucial to Bengaluru.
Kempegowda was an expert in Dharmashastra, literature, grammar, philosophy, and the use of arms.
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He was also a social reformer, and it was Kempegowda who prohibited the custom of amputating the last two fingers of the left hand of unmarried women during “Bandi Devaru”, an essential custom of Morasu Vokkaligas.
Kempegowda, who ruled the city for 56 years, died in 1569, but his legacy and impact on Bengaluru lived on.
Legacy of Kempegowda
Even today, some of the most famous landmarks in Bengaluru are named after him, including the Kempegowda International Airport and the Kempegowda Bus Station, which was previously called Majestic.
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In September 2019, then Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced plans to install a bronze statue of Kempegowda at the city’s international airport at the cost of Rs 100 crore.
Statue of Prosperity sets world record
According to the World Book of Records, it is the first and tallest bronze statue of a founder of a city. The figure stands 108 feet in height with a sword weighing 4 tonnes.
The 108-feet bronze statue dubbed the ‘Statue of Prosperity’ has been installed at the Kempegowda International Airport outside Bengaluru. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this is the first and tallest statue of a city’s founder.
“It is a matter of pride for us that Bengaluru builder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda’s “Statue of Prosperity” is the first and tallest bronze statue according to the World Book of Records. This 108 feet statue represents Kempegowda’s visionary (city of) Bengaluru (sic),” Karnataka Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
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