New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport at Karnataka's Bengaluru, built at a cost of around Rs. 5000 crores.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi paid floral tributes to the statues of saint poet Sri Kanaka Dasa and also to Maharshi Valmiki at Vidhana Soudha. He also flagged off Vande Bharat Express and Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan Train at KSR railway station. This is the fifth Vande Bharat Express train in the country and the first such train in South India.
After inaugurating Terminal 2 of Bengaluru airport, the Prime Minister unveiled 108 metre-long bronze statue of Sri Nadaprabhu Kempegowda.
The bronze statue was built to commemorate the contribution of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, the founder of Bengaluru city. Conceptualised and sculpted by Ram V Sutar of Statue of Unity fame, 98 tonnes of bronze and 120 tonnes of steel have gone into making this statue, a statement by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) informed.
Terminal 2 Of Kempegowda International Airport
The Prime Minister inaugurated the Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport at Bengaluru. The terminal will double the passenger handling capacity of the airport to 5-6 crore passengers per annum, from the current capacity of about 2.5 crores.
According to a statement by the PMO, Terminal 2 is designed as a tribute to the Garden city of Bengaluru and the passenger experience is meant to be a “walk in the garden”. Passengers will travel through 10,000+ sqm of green walls, hanging gardens, and outdoor gardens.
"The Airport has already established a benchmark in sustainability with 100% usage of renewable energy across the campus. Terminal 2 has been created with sustainability principles woven into the design. Based on the sustainability initiatives, Terminal 2 will be the largest terminal in the world to be pre-certified platinum rating by US GBC (green building council) prior to commencing operations," the PMO statement read. "The theme of ‘Naurasa’ unites all the commissioned artworks for Terminal 2. The artworks reflect the heritage and culture of Karnataka as well as the broader Indian ethos," it added.
As per the Centre, the design and architecture of Terminal 2 have been influenced by four guiding principles: Terminal in a garden, sustainability, technology and art & culture. All these facets showcase T2 as a terminal that is modern yet rooted in nature and offers a memorable ‘destination’ experience to all travellers.
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PM Modi's Visit To Four Southern States
PM Modi is on a visit to four southern states, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana on Friday and Saturday. After his various programmes in Karnataka, the Prime Minister will attend the 36th Convocation Ceremony of Gandhigram Rural Institute at Dindigul in Tamil Nadu at around 3:30 PM.
On Saturday, PM Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple projects at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh at around 10:30 AM. He will also visit the RFCL plant in Ramagundam, Telangana at 3:30 PM. Thereafter, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple projects at Ramagundam at around 4:15 PM.