Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will inaugurate Valmiki Tapovana and unveil Maharshi Valmiki statue on October 5.
“The government has made arrangements to celebrate Maharshi Valmiki Jayanthi at the 2.5-acre Valmiki Tapovana near Vidhana Soudha west gate,’’ Congress MLC V.S. Ugrappa told reporters here on Tuesday.
Thousands of people from across the state are expected to come to Bengaluru on October 5 to celebrate Maharshi Valmiki Jayanathi. The state government has provided around 800 Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses for bringing people to Bengaluru.
“Apart from 800 KSRTC buses, people are expected to arrive in Bengaluru in 200 private vehicles. The government has made arrangements for providing breakfast and lunch for the people on October 5,’’ he said.
According to him, the arrangements have been made to supply food for around 50,000 people at the vacant space near Vikasa Soudha on October 5. “There will be 100 food counters to supply food for the participants. We have also made arrangements to put up 100 urinals,’’ he said.
The organisers of the function have made parking facility for the vehicles at the Freedom Park, Central College Cricket Ground, and Palace Ground. “We have also made arrangements for the people coming from border areas at one convention hall near Nelamangala and another convention hall near Dabaspet. We expect the people to reach these convention halls on Wednesday night,’’ he said.
A procession of Maharshi Valmiki Jyothi will be taken out from Bedara Kannappa Temple at Basavanagudi and it will pass through Lalbagh west gate, Minverva Circle, Town Hall, Mysuru Bank Circle and Chalukya Circle and converge at Maharshi Valmiki Tapovana.
“Chief Minister will present Maharshi Valmiki award on the occasion. A committee has been formed under Dr Sukanya Maruthi to select the winner for this purpose,’’ he said.
People from Scheduled Tribes communities will submit a memorandum to the chief minister in support of their various demands, including naming one of the universities in the state after Maharshi Valmiki.
Valmiki Tapovana
The 2.5 acre garden between the Vidhana Soudha and the Legislators’ Home is named as Valmiki Tapovana. As the statue is on a rock, its total height from the road level is 22 feet. This imposing statue was chiseled by sculptor Ashok Gudigar from Karnataka and one sculptor from Tamil Nadu at Mahabalipuram near Chennai. The black stone statue weighs around 22 tonnes.
The estimated cost of the statue project is around Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 crore.
The Siddaramaiah government has released Rs 1 crore for developing the garden by the public works department. Donations were raised by Akhila Karnataka Valmiki Nayaka Mahasabha with the active support of Congress MLC V?S?Ugrappa.
