Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Bengaluru on Friday to unveil the 108-feet bronze statue of the city's founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda and inaugurate Terminal 2 of the International Airport here, built at a cost of around Rs 5,000 crore.
Modi, who will attend a public function and address a mass gathering later in the day, will also flag off south India's first 'Vande Bharat Express' between Mysuru and Chennai via Bengaluru.
After arriving in the city in the morning, Modi will pay floral tributes to the statues of saint poet Kanaka Dasa (on account of Kanaka Jayanti, his birth anniversary) and Maharshi Valmiki at the Vidhana Soudha premises here.
He will then leave for Kranthiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Railway Station here, where he will flag off the Mysuru-Chennai Vande Bharat Express.
At the same venue, Modi will also flag off the 'Bharat Gaurav Kashi Yatra' train. Karnataka is the first state to take up this train under the Bharat Gaurav scheme in which the Government of Karnataka and Ministry of Railways are working together to send pilgrims from the state to Kashi.
Later, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport on the outskirts of Bengaluru, built at a cost of around Rs 5,000 crore.
The terminal is expected to double the passenger handling capacity of the airport to 5-6 crore passengers per annum, from the current capacity of about 2.5 crore.
Modi will then unveil the 108-feet statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, which is the "first and tallest bronze statue of a founder of a city", as per 'World Book of Records'.
The glitzy Terminal-2 of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) awaiting inauguration seeks to give this pleasant experience to travellers, as the Rs 5000 crore initiative has incorporated the concept of a "Terminal-in-a-garden", a first of its kind.
Spread over a total area of 2,55,645 square metres, the T-2 in its first phase will have 22 contact gates, 15 bus gates, 95 check-in solutions and 17 security check lanes.
There will be nine customs hand baggage screening. The gate lounge will have a seating capacity of 5,932.
Phase 1 of T-2 has a capacity of 25 million passengers per annum.
"T-2 is designed in a manner that we retain the philosophy of simplicity and minimal walking distances for the passengers a key characteristic of the KIA. With the use of a combination of the latest in construction technology and natural material, this terminal will establish a new vision for sustainable growth," a KIA official said.
According to him, the Terminal-2 has been built on four guiding principles -- 'Terminal in a Garden', sustainability, technology and innovation, and art and culture of Karnataka.
"The T2 is an architectural wonder, which is a first-of-its kind 'Terminal in a Garden'. It will have lush greenery within and outside and will be a visual delight like no other in the world. The passengers' experience is designed to be a walk in the garden while traveling through the new terminal," another KIA official said.
A big draw of Terminal-2 will be its 'hanging garden', according to him.The designers have also kept in mind the rich art and culture of Karnataka while designing the terminal, KIA officials said."The rich history and cultural heritage of Karnataka have been integrated into the design of T2 with focus on tradition, technology and contemporary facets."
"The cultural diversity and unique art forms of Karnataka and South India will be showcased through the gardens, the dynamic environment and art installations," an official said.
