Mother Cauvery statue: Plan in initial stage to develop tourist destination, says shivakumar

After details of a proposed plan to build a tall statue of Mother Cauvery were reported, Karnataka Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday asserted that it is not just a statue but a tower which will be developed as a tourist destination.

The Karnataka government has reportedly proposed to erect a 125-feet tall statue of Mother Cauvery at the Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir in Mandya district of the state.

Shivakumar and Tourism Minister Sa Ra Mahesh on Tuesday held a meeting with senior officials on the proposed project.

Along with the high statue, as per the plan, the government also proposes to build a museum complex and two 360-feet tall glass towers which will provide a bird's eye view of Krishna Raja Sagara reservoir. A bandstand, an indoor stadium and a replica of historical monuments are also proposed to boost tourism in the region.

After the proposed project started to draw comparisons with the recently inaugurated Statue of Unity in Gujarat, Shivakumar clarified that the proposal is not exactly a statue. He said that the plan is in initial stage to create a 'tourist destination'.

Speaking to ANI on Thursday about the proposed project, Shivakumar clarified that the structure which is being proposed is a tower and not exactly a statue. "No, see it is a plan. This is not a statue. The project is in its initial stage."

"We are coming out with an amusement park like a Disney land. We want the people of the entire country and the world to look at it. We want to have a tourist destination, so we are planning for it," he added.

Shivakumar informed that no government fund will be invested for the project and it will be made through public-private participation. "We are not investing any money for any statue. We are not involving any government funds for this. The land is ours. It is public-private participation. We are asking investors to come and invest. We want to boost tourism in the state and create employment."

India currently is home to world's tallest statue, Statue of Unity. Located on Sadhu-Bet Island in Gujarat, the 182-metre tall Statue of Unity occupies over 20,000 square metres and is surrounded by a 12 square kilometre artificial lake. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the statue on the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India.

A few days ago on November 7, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also announced that a statue of Lord Ram will soon be built in Ayodhya.