Campaign to collect “sacred” mud and water from K’taka ahead of unveiling of Kempegowda statue

Bengaluru: Ahead of the grand unveiling of a 108-feet-tall bronze statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, the founder of Bengaluru city, at the International Airport here, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday launched a unique campaign of collecting the “sacred” mud and water from all the villages of the state.

The mud and water collected will be used in the Kempegowda Theme Park, which will be developed at the premises of the Airport, for which the ground breaking ceremony was organized today.

The government plans to unveil the statue on November 1, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Chief Guest for the event.

“The government is spending Rs 84 crores to erect Kempegowda statue and to develop Theme Park at the airport. The statue has been named as the ‘Statue of Prosperity’ to symbolize Kempegowda’s vision of development,” Bommai said.

He said his state government will also take measures to install a Kempegowda statue on the premises of Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat here at a cost of Rs 50 crore, and a similar one will be installed at Lalbagh, a botanical garden here too.

This campaign of collecting mud and water will include all sections of society and will be a big step towards building Nava Karnataka (New Karnataka) and this symbolizes the commitment of the government towards inclusive development, he added.

Minister C N Ashwath Narayan who is the Vice President of Kempegowda Heritage Places Development Authority said, this campaign will be held for 45 days prior to the dedication of the 108-feet statue.

During the campaign, the sacred mud and water will be collected from villages in all the 31 districts, especially from Lakes, Ponds and Rivers, he said, adding that the government is intending to unveil the statue on November 1st, however, the date will be finalized depending on the schedule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Noting that as part of the campaign a vehicle mounted with an LED screen will ply in each district of the state, Narayan said this will air the messages of great personalities and a documentary on Kempegowda will be played.

The theme park at BIA spreading across 23 acres will be developed in two phases and the first phase will be completed in 9 months’ time, and for this purpose Rs 20 crores have been sanctioned, he said.

The theme park will comprise an amphitheater, pathway, subway, A V exhibition system, 3D projection, fountain, flower garden, VIP lounge, restrooms, kiosks, modern tiles, pavilions, concrete walls etc.

Also, a Kempegowda Study Centre will be established at Bangalore University at a cost of Rs 50 crores, he added.