From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Jun 27: To mark the 511th birth anniversary of Bengaluru’s founder Kempegowda, Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday performed the Boomi Pooja for erecting a 108-feet statue of the Vokkaliga leader and also the works of the Central Park in the Bengaluru International Airport Ltd (BIAL) surroundings.

The 108-ft statue of Kempegowda and the Central Park works are being taken up by the Kempegowda Development Authority in a 23-acre plot in BIAL surroundings.

Sri Adichunchanagiri Math pontiff, Sri Nirmalanda Swamiji of the Vokkaliga community and the Sri Siddaganga Math seer, Sri Siddalingaswamy of the Veerashaiva or Lingayat community were present.

Deputy chief minister, Dr C N Ashwatha Narayan, former Prime Minister, H D Deve Gowda, who is also the JD(S) supremo, and KPCC president D K Shivakumar – all of who belong to the politically dominant Vokkaliga community were present along with several other ministers and dignitaries.

Noted sculptor Ram Sutar, who had created the statue of Mahatma Gandhi that has been installed between Vikasa Soudha and Vidhana Soudha, besides the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue of unity in Gujarat has been entrusted with the task for creating the statue. The Infrastructure Development of Karnataka (iDeCK) has designed the entire project.