“No matter what, the people of Hospete will always be by my side. I can never forget the impeccable taste of Ballari biriyani,” late Kannada star Puneeth Rajkumar once said. Many times, Puneeth had expressed his words of admiration to the people of Hospete.
After his untimely death, a circle in the heart of the city and a stadium were named after Puneeth. Fans continually get involved to pay their respects to the star and now they have created a bronze statue as a mark of respect for Puneeth.
In a grand ceremony, Raghavendra Rajkumar, the brother of the late actor, unveiled the 7.4ft statue in Puneeth on June 5.
The statue was made at Tenali in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh at a cost of Rs 6.4 lakh. The village is famous for making statues. The expenses for the statue and the event were then handled by the “Appu hudugaru” and “Sri Puneeth Rajkumar Abhimanigala Balaga” fan clubs.
“We learned that the fiber and bronze statues are made in Hospete. Although the bronze statues are a little expensive, they are durable. Puneeth sir is very handsome in suits and boots. So we asked them to create in this avatar,” said Jogi Thayappa of Sri Puneeth Rajkumar Abhimanigala Balaga.
There are several Puneeth statues across the state in Fiber. That of Hospete is the highest in Karnataka. Since its inauguration, hundreds of people have visited the site daily. Fans are often seen taking selfies in front of the statue.
In his footsteps
“Puneeth was an achiever from an early age. If you are all his true fans, then you should be successful like him too. There are four to five lakh people in Hospete. Everyone should plant a sapling. People work hard to keep the environment clean everywhere. It would be great if we were sworn in today. Also, everyone should donate blood and save lives. This is how we can respect Puneeth,” said Raghavendra Rajkumar, who was accompanied by his wife, Mangala, at the June 5 event.
Comments are closed.