A recent addition to Bengaluru’s glory, the Kempegowda statue is a result of the hard work of three generations of the Sutar family.
The Statue of Prosperity will be unveiled by PM Narendra Modi at Kempegowda International Airport, along with 200 craftsmen.
While the design and concept were put into motion by Padma Bhushan Ram V Sutar, the casting was accomplished by his son, Anil Sutar under the watchful guidance of his father. Lastly, the installation and coordination with the government were attempted by the grandson, Sameer Sutar.
This is not the first project undertaken by the Sutar family, they have also brought life to the Statue of Unity in Gujarat and the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Vadhina Soudha and Vikasa Soudha.
The statue was a result of nine months of backbreaking work at multiple levels. Moreover, the concept drawing for the statue took plenty of research about the king, Sameer Sutar told TOI.
The 3ft statue was shaped at the family’s studio in Noida whereas the 10ft statue was first built as a model.
Simultaneously, the casting of bronze and steel was done at Sahibabad foundry in Ghaziabad, U.P. in ten different pieces which were then transported to Bengaluru.
Talking about the challenges the family faced while working on the project, Sameer Sutar told TOI, that the hardest bit was accumulating historical details of the king and the context he lived in. To achieve the same, he had to visit Bengaluru four to five times to study more about his appearance, portrayal, clothes of his era, weaponry, footwear, and other such complex details.
Additionally, the installation of the statue seemed to face hurdles due to the constant cloudy and rainy conditions in the city as well as air traffic.
While most of the material for the Statue of Prosperity was sourced from within India, fine-quality bronze (85% copper, 5% zinc, 5% lead, and 5% tin) and high-grade steel were imported from abroad.
Sameer Sutar told TOI that the family feels immense pride in the statue and the work and contribution of king Kempegowda to the city. They also felt extremely inspired by his life and work, which was aptly reflected in the statue.
