February 20, 2020, 7:28 am
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| Vidhana Soudha, facade Bangaluru, Karnataka.deccanherald.com |
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| Vidhana Soudha, facade Bangaluru, Karnataka. en.wikipedia. org |
A visit to the sprawling garden city of Bangalore, a well-known IT center in the world, will be incomplete if you do not visit the majestic 3-story Vidhana Soudha with a big dome at the center, the seat of power (legislature) in Karnatata. It is here the ruling party holds the reins not with confidence but with anxiety provided it is a coalition of parties with different ideology to share the power. But countless visitors, unless take a detailed look at this nice building that carry the stamp of Karnataka architecture, have no idea about the person behind its construction. ![]() |
| Vidhana Soudha, facade Bangaluru, Karnataka.jantakareporter.com |
It was late Kengal Hanumanthaiah (14 February 1908 – 1 December 1980), the second Chief Minister of Karnataka (then, Mysore State) from 30 March 1952 to 19 August 1956, was instrumental in the construction of Vidhana Soudha that houses the state legislature as well as the office complex. Being a visionary and no non-sense person, he toiled to have this comfortable well- designed building constructed to last longer so that the politicians could function comfortably. That the Karnataka political scenario in the last one or two decades has changed a lot is a different story.Born on February 14, 1908 in a Vokkaliga family in a Lakkappanahalli, a small village near Ramanagara, Ramanagara District, now Karnataka state, Sri Hanumanthaiah had his education at the Maharaja College in Mysore in 1930 and earned a degree in Arts. Later he completed a degree in Law at Poona Law College in 1932. While a student in the college in Mysore state, on the sidelines, he did not sit idle. Being active in the student union he became its secretary and the Karnataka Sangha. After his degree in law, he joined the bar council in the same year-1932.![]() |
| Vidhana Soudha (old photo), Bangaluru, Karnataka www.eesanje.com |
During the British Raj there was a growing demand for India's freedom from the oppressive British rule and the Indian National Congress first founded by retired British Civil Service officer Allan Octavian Hume ICS hogged the limelight. headed by great leaders like Vallabhai Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and others. Subash Chandra Bose assisted by Sri Muthuramalinga Thevar fought for freedom treading a different path. Hanumanthaiah, with patriotic zeal gave up his law practice and got into the freedom band wagon on the advice of Dr. P. Tandon, the then President of Indian National Congress. He became active in the then Mysore congress. His sustained participation in the freedom movement and spellbinding speeches caught the attention of the rulers that resulted in his imprisonment nine times during the freedom struggle. His sacrifices and spirited involvement in the welfare of his state stood him in good stead. Obviously, he was unanimously elected as the leader of the Parliamentary Party wing of the Congress Party in Mysore Assembly in 1948. Besides, he was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India.![]() |
| Vidhana Soudha, facade Bangaluru, Karnataka. en.wikipedia. org |
When the Congress party in the 1st general elections came out victorious Sri Hanumanthaiah became the second Chief Minister of Mysore state in 1952. Immediately, as a CM, got into serious business entrusted upon him and made full focus on the economic growth of the state to generate revenues, agriculture, irrigation, etc. In addition, he promoted the welfare of the rural people. In a nutshell, his tenure as a CM, was a constructive and productive one that saw the gradual economic and industrial growth of Mysore state. He united the Kannada speaking areas within the confines of a single state. As there was not a separate legislature building and office space in the capital city of Bangalore (now Bangaluru), Sri Hanumanthaiah quickly took serious step to have a new self-contained building built soon. The other reason is the visiting cultural Russian delegation made a carping remarks on the lack of a spacious legislature building and their criticism was the force behind his step to build a suitable structure reflecting the native architectural style. The construction of the "Vidhana Soudha", the largest legislature-cum-office building in India at that time is his outstanding contribution.The unique aspect is the incorporation of elements of Indo-Saracenic and local Mysore styles. He visited some foreign countries including the US and got an idea. Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone on July 13, 1951. The then CM of Mysore state was K.C Reddy. The construction was completed in 1956. He was part of the Committee for the Drafting of a Model Constitution for the Indian States and made interventions on the issue of federalism. In the Constituent Assembly, he argued for greater autonomy for states. He was an elected MP continuously representing Bangalore city from 1962 to 1977. He also served as minister in the Union cabinet holding Railways, Industries etc. There is a statue of Hanumanthaiah in front of the VidhanVidhana Soudha, the architect of early Mysore state. The Kengal Hanumanthaiya Memorial Trust is doing many social services. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Hanumanthaiah
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