108-foot-tall bronze statue of Bengaluru’s founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda unveiled by PM Modi

The 108-foot-tall bronze statue of Bengaluru’s founder, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, known as the “Statue of Prosperity,” was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

The state is being constructed to honour Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, the city’s founder, for his contributions to Bengaluru’s expansion.

“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,” the PMO said.

The Prime Minister was given a warm welcome on Friday in Bengaluru.

PM Modi inaugurated  Terminal 2 of Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport earlier in the day.

The opening of T2 will greatly benefit the people by doubling the capacity for handling passengers and adding check-in and immigration counters.

With a construction budget of roughly Rs 5,000 crore, Terminal 2 will increase annual passenger capacity from 2.5 crore to approximately 5-6 crore.

The passenger experience at Terminal 2 is meant to be like taking a “walk in the garden,” paying homage to Bengaluru’s Garden City.

The 10,000+ square metres of green walls, hanging gardens, and outdoor gardens that passengers will pass through were all created in India using local materials and techniques.

This airport has already set a standard for sustainability thanks to its campus-wide use of 100 percent renewable energy. The design of Terminal 2 incorporates sustainability principles throughout.

“The airport has already established a benchmark in sustainability with 100 percent usage of renewable energy across the campus. Terminal 2 has been created with sustainability principles woven into the design. Based on the sustainability initiatives, Terminal 2 will be the largest terminal in the world to be pre-certified platinum by the US GBC (Green Building Council) prior to commencing operations. The theme of “Naurasa’ unites all the commissioned artworks for Terminal 2. The artworks reflect the heritage and culture of Karnataka as well as the broader Indian ethos,” the PMO said.

Overall, four guiding principles—Terminal in a Garden, sustainability, technology, and art and culture—have had an impact on the design and architecture of Terminal 2.

At Bengaluru’s Kranthiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Railway Station, he also signalled the departure of the Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat Express and the Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan Train.

This is South India’s first Vande Bharat Express train and the fifth overall in the nation.

“It will enhance connectivity between the industrial hub of Chennai and the tech and startup hub of Bengaluru and the famous tourist city of Mysuru,” the PMO said.

Under the Bharat Gaurav scheme, in which the government of Karnataka and the ministry of railways collaborate to send pilgrims from Karnataka to Kashi, Karnataka is the first state to board this train.

“The pilgrims will be provided with a comfortable stay and guidance for visiting Kashi, Ayodhya, and Prayagraj,” the PMO said.
The Prime Minister paid floral tributes to the statues of saint poet Kanakadasa and Maharshi Valmiki at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.