NadaprabhuKempegowda
- Category
History
- Published
13th Jul, 2022
-
Context
A bronze statue of NadaprabhuKempegowda, credited to be the founder of Bengaluru, will be unveiled soon at the premises of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).
About
NadaprabhuKempegowda:
- NadaprabhuKempegowda 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-GouriSallapamu’ in Telugu.
NadaprabhuKempegowda 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, KrishnarajaWodeyar IV, and DiwanV.P.Madhava Rao were the association's patron and vice-patron, respectively.