Kengal Hanumanthaiah
Encyclopedia
Kengal Hanumanthaiah (14 February 1908 – 1 December 1980) was the chief minister of the old Mysore State
(Karnataka
) in India
from 30 March 1952 to 19 August 1956. He is best remembered for his vision and contribution to the construction of Vidhana Soudha
or the state assembly house.
After graduating from law, he joined the bar council in the same year. Dr. P. Tandon, the then President of Indian National Congress, advised Kengal Hanumanthaiah to give up active practice at the bar and to devote himself to the freedom struggle. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, Hanumanthaiah pitched himself into the freedom struggle and was imprisoned more than nine times.
and K Hanumanthaiah took them around to show the city. Every now and then they queried, "Have you no architecture of your own? They are all European buildings". Stung, K Hanumanthaiah, vowed to create a monument so magnificent that it would showcase the best of South India's indigenous architectural styles.
Mysore State
The Kingdom of Mysore was one of the three largest princely states within the erstwhile British Empire of India. Upon India gaining its independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Mysore merged his realm with the Union of India...
(Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
) in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
from 30 March 1952 to 19 August 1956. He is best remembered for his vision and contribution to the construction of Vidhana Soudha
Vidhana Soudha
The Vidhana Soudha, located in Bengaluru , is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka. It is an imposing building, constructed in a style sometimes described as Neo-Dravidian, and incorporates elements of Indo-Saracenic and Dravidian styles...
or the state assembly house.
Early life
Kengal Hanumanthaiah was born in 1908 to a Vokkaliga family in Lakkappanapalli, a small village in Bangalore district. He graduated in Arts from the Mysore Maharaja College in 1930, and later completed LL.B from Poona Law College in 1932. During his college days, he was elected as the secretary of the Students Union and Karnataka Sangha.After graduating from law, he joined the bar council in the same year. Dr. P. Tandon, the then President of Indian National Congress, advised Kengal Hanumanthaiah to give up active practice at the bar and to devote himself to the freedom struggle. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, Hanumanthaiah pitched himself into the freedom struggle and was imprisoned more than nine times.
The Vidhan Soudha
During an interview, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, explained the reasoning behind the architectural styles of the monument. A Russian cultural delegation was visiting BangaloreBangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
and K Hanumanthaiah took them around to show the city. Every now and then they queried, "Have you no architecture of your own? They are all European buildings". Stung, K Hanumanthaiah, vowed to create a monument so magnificent that it would showcase the best of South India's indigenous architectural styles.