• Statue honors Kempegowda, the local figure who built Bengaluru in the 16th century.
• The 33 m (108 ft.) tall, 220 tons, bronze statue is situated at the international airport.
• Construction reportedly cost 850 million rupees ($10.5 million; £8.9 million).

A statue honoring Kempegowda, the local figure who built Bengaluru in the 16th century, was unveiled by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Bangalore).

The 33 m (108 ft.) tall, 220 tons, bronze statue is situated at the international airport in the state capital of southern Karnataka.

The statue’s construction reportedly cost 850 million rupees ($10.5 million; £8.9 million).

The statue and a theme park were funded with 1 billion rupees by the state government in 2019.

The statue, according to a state minister, will be known as “the statue of prosperity” to honour Bengaluru’s development.

The area is frequently referred to as “India’s Silicon Valley” and is home to some of the top IT start-ups and businesses in the nation.

The “statue of unity” in Gujarat, which honors independence leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and is the tallest statue in the world at 600 feet, was also sculpted by Ram V Sutar.

The dedication of Kempegowda’s statue occurs months before the state’s assembly elections.

According to political analysts, the event is an effort by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to win over the Vokkaliga upper caste community, which Kempegowda belonged to.

The Old Mysore region of the state, which includes Bengaluru and eight other districts, is dominated by the Vokkaligas. Despite the fact that the BJP has won elections in this region, the opposition parties Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) still have sway.

In Karnataka, Kempegowda is a legendary figure. He belonged to the Vijayanagar empire, which reigned over a portion of southern India during the 14th and early 17th centuries.

According to historian Suryanath Kamath, there is proof that from 1513 to 1569, he ruled over regions that included modern-day Bengaluru.

Others, however, assert that they have discovered proof that he was alive up until 1608.

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“He did fight wars but he was known to be a diplomat who worked to bring about peace among local chieftains,” he added.

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