Karnataka To Develop Three Heritage Circuits Celebrating Bengaluru Founder Kempegowda

In a bid to celebrate the heritage of the founder of Bengaluru, Karnataka has proposed the development of 46 heritage sites connected to Nadaprabhu Kempegowda.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa directed that these sites in three circuits be developed in a bid to promote tourism in the region. At the cost of Rs 223 crore, historical places in Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagar, Chikballapur and Tumakur districts will be part of this circuit for which a conceptual plan has been prepared by the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Development Board.

Work on Kempegowda's 108 feet bronze statue at a cost of Rs 64 crore near Bengaluru International Airport is under progress. A theme park around the statue is in the planning stage.

The land acquisition process to develop the Samadhi of Kempegowda in Kempapura village, Ramnagara district, is in the final phase. A concept plan is in progress. The plan will be implemented at the cost of Rs 32 crore.

Yediyurappa, chairing a review meeting with the board, instructed officials to systematically plan the rehabilitation, road development, and other basic infrastructure works for the benefit of 46 families which will lose land due to the project.

It was decided to bring out a book and make a short film based on the life of Kempegowda. Yediyurappa also directed to prepare a plan to develop forts, lakes and heritage places belonging to Kempegowda's period into tourist spots in collaboration with Tourism, Minor Irrigation, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), PWD, Forest and other departments.

Meanwhile, he also chaired a meeting of the Koodala Sangama Development Board and reviewed the work on the Basava International Museum in Koodalasangama. At a cost of Rs 94 crore, the museum is being modelled on the Sri Swamy Narayana Aksharadhama temple in New Delhi. The government also waived off two month's rent amounting to Rs 2.97 lakh of 81 shops which comes under the Koodala Sangama Development Board as it is waterlogged by floods.

Chairing a review meeting of the Kittur Development Authority on 6 July, Yediyurappa approved an action plan worth Rs 10 crore. This plan will provide for the construction of a memorial of Rani Chenamma, the development of Chowk Mutt Gadduge and a replica of the palace belonging to Kitturu province. The action plan will also provide for the development of Chenamma's samadhi, construction of a statue of Belagavi Mallamma, as well as undertake work to preserve documents and display the life and history of these two heroic women of Karnataka.

CM Yediyurappa stressed on the importance of developing all these projects at review meetings of all three boards with a special focus on boosting tourism in the state.