Nadaprabhu Kempegowda

A bronze statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, credited to be the founder of Bengaluru, will be unveiled soon at the premises of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).

About Nadaprabhu Kempegowda:

• Nadaprabhu Kempegowda was a 16th century chieftain of the Vijayanagara Empire, is credited as the founder of Bengaluru.
• He approached the Vijayanagara kings for the requisite permission and laid the foundations for what would become Bangalore City in
• Kempegowda is also known to have developed around 1,000 lakes in the city to cater to drinking and agricultural needs.
• He was from the dominant agricultural Vokkaliga community in south Karnataka.
• Kempe Gowda was a patron of the arts and authored ‘Ganga-Gouri Sallapamu’ in Telugu. 

Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Statue:

• Marking the 511th birth anniversary of Kempegowda, former CM BS Yediyurappa had laid the foundation for the project in June 2020.
• The 108-ft bronze statue is being constructed in a 23-acre heritage park on the airport premises.
• It has a 4,000 kg sword.
  
  

Vokkaliga Community:

• The Vokkaliga caste originates in the Indian state of Karnataka.
• In the former princely state of Mysore, the Vokkaligas were the largest community.
• As a community of warriors and cultivators, they have historically wielded tremendous demographic, political, and economic dominance in Old Mysore.
• The term Vokkaliga comes from the word Vokku, which means to thresh grains from crops.
• In 1906, the Vokkaligara Sangha was founded in Bangalore.
• Byanna was the Sangha's first president, and the Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, and Diwan V.P.Madhava Rao were the association's patron and vice-patron, respectively.