BENGALURU: If all goes as planned, passengers at Kempegowda International Airport will be greeted by a mammoth statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda. Land has been finalised to build this statue. Speaking to the media persons on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan said that a theme park will come up near KIA on 23 acres and that the statue will be fixed there.
“The statue will be 80 ft high. It will be mounted on a 40 ft high pedestal. Now that the land has been finalised, we will get clarity about the statue’s aspects soon. At present, many private companies have come forward to get involved in this initiative,’’ he said. He also said that the statue will not hinder flight movements due to its proximity to the airport.
On the Kempegowda Development Authority, the DyCM said that they have identified 46 locations developed by the ruler. “We will work on the amenities to be provided in these locations, which have the potential to become tourist spots. We want people to know about Kempegowda and his work,’’ he added.
In 2014, Devanahalli Airport was renamed Kempegowda International Airport. It was in 2015 that the demand to build a statue of the ruler at KIA came up.