Mysore/Mysuru: At last, the project to install the statue of former Chief Minister late D. Devaraj Urs took a significant step forward today. 

Bhoomi Puja was performed for the installation of the statue at the new Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Siddarthanagar jointly by MLA Tanveer Sait, MLC A.H. Vishwanath, DC Dr. K.V. Rajendra and Congress leader Suraj Hegde, the grandson of late D. Devaraj Urs.

This statue project is a collaborative effort between the district administration and the Kannada and Culture Department, at an estimated cost of Rs. 92 lakh.

The statue will stand at 12 feet tall, sculpted from black granite by Mysuru’s renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj and his elder brother Suryaprakash Yogiraj.

Arun Yogiraj gained national and international recognition for sculpting the Balak Ram statue consecrated at Ayodhya.

Initially, the plan was to install Urs statue at the junction of D. Devaraj Urs Road and JLB Road. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the execution of this plan was delayed. 

Addressing the gathering, MLA Tanveer Sait expressed the fulfilment of the long-standing aspirations of the people of the Old Mysuru region to witness a statue honouring their leader who hailed from Mysuru.

“Beyond his regional roots, Devaraj Urs remains a towering figure in the annals of Karnataka’s history, revered for his unwavering commitment to the welfare of all segments of society. His efforts towards fostering an egalitarian society, ensuring equal opportunities for all, are unparalleled,” Tanveer Sait said.

“It is undeniable that Urs laid the groundwork for providing social benefits to the underprivileged and marginalised sections of society,” Sait remarked.

Highlighting the historical significance of Devaraj Urs’ contributions, it is worth noting that it was he who renamed Mysuru State as Karnataka fifty years ago. In a remarkable coincidence, the unveiling of the statue of Urs comes during ‘Suvarna Sambhrama’ celebrations. 

Reflecting on Urs’ enduring legacy, Sait recalled the renaming of the road stretching from K.R. Circle to JLB Road as D. Devaraj Urs Road in 1978 — a thoroughfare that has since become one of the busiest in city.

 Credit for this project goes to CM Siddaramaiah and District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa. The statue inauguration is slated either during Urs’ death anniversary in June or his birth anniversary in August, Sait said.

Despite the simplicity of today’s Bhoomi Puja ceremony, conducted in anticipation of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and the Model Code of Conduct likely to be enforced soon, Sait assured that the statue’s inauguration would be a grand affair with the presence of beneficiaries of schemes launched by Urs.

MLC A.H. Vishwanath reminisced about how Devaraj Urs played a pivotal role in shaping his political career. Describing Urs as a beacon of hope hailing from the remote village of Kallahalli in Hunsur taluk, Vishwanath attributed to him and the Congress party the pioneering efforts in sowing the seeds of social justice in India.

Highlighting the late CM’s remarkable initiatives, he noted that under his ‘Uluvavane Odeya’ (tiller is the owner of land) initiative, 30 lakh acres of land were distributed to the landless. Even today, many families regard Urs as their deity, underscoring his enduring legacy.

Deputy Commissioner Dr. K.V. Rajendra read out the message sent by District Minister Dr. Mahadevappa, who was unable to attend the event. Among the dignitaries present were ZP CEO K.M. Gayathri, Additional DC Shivaraju, Kannada and Culture Joint Director V.N. Mallikarjunaswamy, Assistant Director Sudarshan, former Mayors Purushotham and Dakshina Murthy, B.S. Sridhar Raje Urs, Prof. P.V. Nanjaraj Urs, City Congress President R. Murthy, Statue Installation Samiti President Zakir Hussain, Congress leader Dairy Venkatesh and former District Kannada Sahitya Parishat Presidents M. Chandrashekar and Y.D. Rajanna.