In Karnataka, PM Modi unveils 108-ft tall Kempegowda's ‘Statue of Prosperity’

With the unveiling of the statue of Kempegowda, Bengaluru sees a new record.

In Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unveiled a 108-feet tall statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda at the Bengaluru airport. The inauguration of the 'Statue of Prosperity' has been one of the key highlights of PM Modi's visit to the state, which goes to polls next year.

Bengaluru, Nov 11 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the unveiling ceremony of the 108 ft bronze statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, in Bengaluru on Friday. (ANI Photo) (ANI/ PIB)

The unveiling of the statue comes hours after the first Vande Bharat Express in the south India - on the Chennai-Mysuru-Bengaluru route - was flagged off by the Prime Minister. This the fifth Vande Bharat train to be launched in the country.

A video tweeted by the BJP's Karnataka unit showed PM Modi unveiling the statue. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was seen standing next to him. Kempegowda is widely revered as the "founder" of Bengaluru. As his statue is revealed, the city has now registered a new record.

"A matter of pride for us that Statue of Prosperity is the first & tallest bronze statue of a founder of a city as per World Book of Records. An apt tribute to #Bengaluru's founder N. Kempegowda. Standing at 108ft, it symbolises his vision of a Global City. (sic)," the Chief Minister tweeted earlier this week, ahead of Prime Minisiter Modi's visit to the state.

Meanwhile, in his remarks, PM Modi highlighted the role of Bengaluru in the success of start-ups. “India is known all over the world for its start-ups, and Bengaluru plays a vital role in getting India established as a startup hub. The success of Make-in-India programme, the 5G technology, the UPI, nothing would have been possible without the sheer contribution of professionals from Bengaluru,” he asserted.