Vidhana Soudha- a brief intro The
Vidhana Soudha a big legislative building of India 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. It was
completed in 1956.
The building is rectangular in shape measuring 700 feet north south and 350 feet east west, with two inner open quadrangles on either side of the central wing measuring about 230 feet by 230 feet each. The northern wings with a ground and three upper floors is 63 feet 6 inches high, while the southern wing with a cellar floor, a ground floor, and three upper floors is 73 feet 6 inches high from the ground level. The Central Wing with a Banquet Hall on the ground floor and the Legislative Assembly Chamber above is 112 feet high. It is therefore one of the largest of the Legislative buildings and impresses many visitors as larger as and more beautiful than similar buildings in Australia, the United States and even Canada.
Marvel of neo-Dravidian architecture and one of the most imposing building not only in Bangalore but in India. One of the interesting features of this building in grand stairs in its front. The grand stairs has a flight of forty-five steps 204 feet wide 70 feet deep giving a direct access to the foyer of first floor leading to an Assembly Chamber. The architecture of the building is based on Dravidian style, comprising richly carved bases and capitals for pillars, deep friezes, kapotha cornices, chaithya arches, heavy pediments domical finials, etc; At the same time, the
construction has been on modern designs, making use of the present-day materials like steel, reinforced cement concrete glass, plastic, etc
The building is illuminated on Sundays and public holidays.
Opposite to Vidhana soudha is The High court of Karnataka, another beautiful building of Bangalore. Both buildings are in Cubbon park. The majority of the unskilled labour used were prisoners, and they were set free when the construction was completed.
Interesting things
The building''s central dome is sixty feet in diameter and is supported by eight pillars. It also has six smaller domes, four in front and two behind.
• There are twelve forty-foot columns over the entrance steps.
• The Vidhana Soudha was completed in four years: construction began in 1952 and was finished in 1956.
• About 5000 labourers and 1500 chisellers, masons and wood-carvers worked on the project.
• Almost all the unskilled workers deployed in its construction were convicts, who were given their freedom on its completion.
• The entire cost of the project was Rs 1.75 crore.