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Plan on Rajkumar statue in mess

Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s plans on installing a statue of cine star late Rajkumar in front of the Town Hall seems to be shaping up into a clutter.

The Shilpakala Academy which is reading a two-acre contemporary sculpture park between the Town Hall and the Ravindra Kalakshetra is of the opinion that the aesthetics of a statue and a sculpture park may not gel. The Academy President Venkatachalapathi noted that the academy means no disrespect to the late actor, it is just that art and aesthetics-wise the statute and park may not fit together. The landscaping work on the upcoming park has been assigned to Mr Suryaprakash, a designer from the National Institute of Design and the vicinity as it exists today – including Kittur Rani Chennamma statue – is being blended into the plan, he noted.

As per its stated plan, BMP is learnt to have chosen a city-based sculptor by name Nagarajachar for making the statue of Rajkumar. A 12 ft bronze statue has been planned, the work order is likely to be issued on Monday, sources said.

The Town Hall belongs to the BMP, the Ravindra Kalakshetra belongs to the government and the statue will be installed in their vicinity as planned, maintained BMP sources. A meeting of experts was called by the BMP recently over the statue issue; the matter pertaining to the sculpture garden did not figure during the deliberations, they said.

Meanwhile on Sunday Bangalore South MP Ananthkumar (BJP) announced that a statue of the late star would be installed at a suitable place in N R Colony in the city. He was speaking at a programme in Ward 51 where the Katta Bhavan building road was named as ‘Katta Bhavan Road’.

Sought his reaction, Mr H Ravindra leader of the ruling Congress in the BMP said that Mr Ananthkumar must have been speaking of a separate statue. He perhaps has a plan of installing one with his MPs funds, he said.

Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug142006/city204912006813.asp

© 2006 Dr. Rajkumar – Annavaru.