From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Oct 19: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiling the 108 ft tall statue of Bengaluru’s founder Kempe Gowda in front of the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on November 11, Karnataka has taken up a campaign across the State for sacred mud collection to be used for the development of Kempe Gowda theme park.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will flag off the campaign for sacred mud collection at BIAL on October 21 from Vidhana Soudha.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, October 19 Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, Minister and Vice-Chairperson of the Kempe Gowda Heritage Area Development Authority, said: “The campaign will run till November 7 and during this period vehicles named as "Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda Ratha"s will collect the sacred mud across all the districts of the State."
“The sacred mud thus collected will be used during the unveiling of 108 feet statue of the Bengaluru founder by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 11,’’ Dr Narayan said.
BIAL is the first international airport to have the statue of Bengaluru and the theme park is being developed in 23 acres.
To ensure the success of the campaign, he said committees have been formed at the district level.
When the vehicles enter the district, they will be welcomed with 'purna kumbas', he explained.
The CEO of Zilla Panchayats in each district will be the nodal officer of the committee, he said.
Religious leaders, elected representatives, writers, progressive farmers, members of self-help groups, senior citizens, milk producers’ federations and industrial associations will be involved in the campaign, Dr Narayan said
Vinaydeep, Commissioner, Kempe Gowda Heritage Area Development Authority, Talakadu Chikkarange Gowda, Gangahanumaiah (members) were present.
Deve Gowda invited
Later, the Minister visited the residence of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda at Padmanabhanagar and invited him to participate in the inaugural event of sacred mud collection on October 21.