108 ft statue of Kempegowda to be unveiled by PM Modi finds place in 'World Book of Records'
Bengaluru, Nov 9: The 108 feet statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil on Friday is the "first and tallest bronze statue of a founder of a city", as per 'World Book of Records'.
Called the "Statue of Prosperity", it has been built to commemorate the contribution of Kempegowda, the founder of the city, towards the growth of Bengaluru.
"A matter of pride for us that the Statue of Prosperity is the first and tallest bronze statue of a founder of a city as per World Book of Records. An apt tribute to Bengaluru's founder Kempegowda. Standing at 108 ft, it symbolises his vision of a Global City," Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai tweeted along with a certificate from 'World Book of Records' on Wednesday.
The statue weighing 220 tonne has been installed at the Kempegowda International Airport here. It has a sword weighing 4 tonne.
The project, besides the statue, has a heritage theme park in an area covering 23 acres dedicated to the 16th century chieftain, together costing about Rs 84 crore to the government.
Kempegowda, a feudatory ruler under the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire founded Bengaluru in 1537. He is revered, especially by the Vokkaliga community that is dominant in Old Mysuru and other parts of southern Karnataka.
Renowned sculptor and Padma Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar has designed the statue. Sutar had built the 'Statue of Unity' in Gujarat and the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Bengaluru's Vidhana Soudha.
As a precursor to the unveiling, 'Mruthike' (sacred mud) was collected from over 22,000 locations across the state, which was mixed symbolically with the mud beneath one of the four towers of the statue today.
Twenty one special vehicles collected the sacred mud, including villages, towns and cities during the last two weeks.
ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ನಿರ್ಮಾತೃ ನಾಡಪ್ರಭು ಕೆಂಪೇಗೌಡರ "ಪ್ರಗತಿಯ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆ"ಯು ವರ್ಲ್ಡ್ ಬುಕ್ ಆಫ್ ರೆಕಾರ್ಡ್ಸ್ ಅನುಸಾರ ಮೊದಲ ಹಾಗೂ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಎತ್ತರದ ಕಂಚಿನ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆ ಎಂಬುದು ನಮಗೆ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯ ವಿಷಯ.108 ಅಡಿಯ ಈ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆ ಕೆಂಪೇಗೌಡರ ದೂರದೃಷ್ಟಿಯ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರನ್ನು ಬಿಂಬಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.#ಪ್ರಗತಿಯಪ್ರತಿಮೆ #ಬನ್ನಿನಾಡಕಟ್ಟೋಣ pic.twitter.com/sFERth0Xwv
— Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) November 9, 2022
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
26 killed, 61 injured in blast at fireworks factory in China
Beijing (PTI): At least 26 people were killed and 61 others injured in a massive explosion at a fireworks factory in China's Hunan province, officials said on Tuesday.
The explosion occurred on Monday afternoon at the plant operated by the Huasheng fireworks manufacturing and display company in Liuyang, a county-level city under Changsha, the provincial capital.
Videos circulating on Chinese social media showed massive destruction of property spanning several kilometres.
ALSO READ: Will of people supreme, says Mahua Moitra after BJP's landslide victory in Bengal
More than 480 rescuers, organised into five teams, have been deployed for relief operations, with three rescue robots pressed into service.
Officials said 26 people were killed and 61 others were injured. The injured have been rushed to hospitals for treatment, while a second round of search operations is underway.
China is a leading manufacturer and exporter of fireworks.
As the explosion site is located near two black powder warehouses, the rescuers have evacuated nearby residents and set up a buffer zone to prevent a secondary accident, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched experts to the scene to guide rescue efforts.
The person in charge of the company has been detained by police and the cause of the accident is being investigated, the report said.
