Karnataka proposes to build 125-feet 'Mother Cauvery' statue, says structure will be part of 'amusement park'
The Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka has also proposed to build a museum complex, 2 glass towers measuring 360 feet providing a bird's eye view of KRS reservoir, a bandstand, an indoor stadium, and a replica of historical monuments to boost tourism in the region.
After Gujarat's Statue of Unity and Maharashtra's proposed Shivaji statue off the coast of Mumbai, the Karnataka government has proposed to erect a 125-feet statue of Mother Cauvery at the Krishna Raja Sagar (KSR) reservoir in Mandya district.
According to ANI, the Congress-JD(S) coalition government has also proposed to build a museum complex, 2 glass towers measuring 360 feet providing a bird's eye view of KRS reservoir, a bandstand, an indoor stadium, and a replica of historical monuments to boost tourism in the region. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 1,200 crore.
Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar and Tourism Minister SR Mahesh held a meeting with officials to discuss the proposal on Thursday.
After the meeting, Shivakumar told reporters that the plan is not just for the statue, but for an "amusement park" to enrich the tourism experience.
Sketch of Mother Cauvery statue. Twitter/@ANI
He further said that a new lake would be created next to the reservoir. The statue — which will be taller than the reservoir — will be installed atop the museum complex and between the glass towers.
"We are not investing any money for any statue. We are not involving any government funds for this. (The) land is ours. It is a public-private participation. We are asking investors to come and invest. We want revenue for the government. We want to increase tourism in the state. We want to create employment," he said.
He denied that the proposal was based on the lines of the Statue of Unity, which was opened to the public on 1 November. At 182 metres, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue, built on an islet near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Kevadiya, is the tallest such structure in the world.
Karnataka is the latest addition to the list of governments which have recently unveiled or proposed to build statues ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has already proposed to build a 150-metre tall statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, while the construction of the Shivaji memorial in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai is underway.
With inputs from agencies
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