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Coordinates: The Vidhana Soudha, located in Bangalore (Bengaluru), is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka. It is an imposing building, constructed in a style, sometimes described as 'Neo-Dravidian', incorporates elements of Indo-Saracenic, Rajasthani Jharokha and Dravidian styles.

It was built in the 1950s. Shri Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Chief Minister of Mysore from 1951 to 1956, is credited with the conception of the Vidhana Soudha. He visited Europe,Russia United States and other placaes and got the idea of building Vidhana Soudha by incorporating various designs from the buildings he had seen.The foundation was laid by the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, on July 13, 1951. It was completed in 1956.

The Vidhana Soudha has 4 floors above and 1 floor below ground level and sprawls across an area of 700 by 350 feet. It is the largest Legislative building in India. Its eastern face has a porch with 12 granite columns, 40 feet tall. Leading to the foyer is a flight of stairs with 45 steps, more than 200 feet wide. The central dome, 60 feet in diameter, is crowned by a likeness of the Indian national emblem.

The cost of construction at that time was just 17.5 million rupees. But presently, annual maintenance cost it self is more than 20 million rupees (which include repairs, painting, and other miscellaneous).

The building is illuminated on Sundays and public holidays.

The Karnataka government has constructed a replica, named Vikasa Soudha, to the south of the building. Initiated by the then Chief Minister, S M Krishna, and inaugurated in February 2005, it is intended to be an annexe housing some of the ministries and legislative offices.

Opposite to Vidhana soudha is The High court of Karnataka, another beautiful building of Bangalore. Both buildings are in Cubbon park

Trivia

• The majority of the unskilled labour used were prisoners, and they were set free when the construction was completed.
• Over the entrance is inscribed the sentence Government Work is God's Work.
• Major government records of Karnataka are stored beneath the beautiful structure and it is accessible to the public. It is known as Karnataka State Archives .

References

• Vidhana Soudha

Belgaum Belgaum border dispute Central Industrial Security Force Chitrakala Parishat City and town halls

Cubbon Park Electronics City Government of Karnataka H. D. Kumaraswamy Haveri

History of Bangalore Kannadigas Karnataka Karnataka Forum for Dignity Karnataka High Court

Kengal Hanumanthaiah List of legislative buildings Politics in South India Veterinary College, Bangalore More results