Ruka Rani Channamma statue falls 4 days before Kittur Utsav

The right arm of rani channamma statue at kittur in belagavi district of karnataka accidentally fell on 19 october 2026. the equestrian statue stands at the entrance of the historic city, off punebengaluru national highway | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The right arm of the Rani Channamma statue in Kittur accidentally fell on the night of October 19.

This led to demands from pro-Kannada groups that the Karnataka government install a new statue. They demand that the statue be repaired within three days, before the inauguration of the Kittur Utsava on October 23.

The actual reason why the hand of the bronze statue broke is unknown. Police say it may have been rusted and broken by rain and wind. Officers, including Tahsildars, taluk panchayat officials and police inspected the site. The arms and sword were taken and deposited in the tahsildars office.

The equestrian statue stands at the entrance to the historic city, off the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway. The statue is 50 feet high above the ground. The metal statue is about 10 feet tall. It is estimated to weigh over one ton.

It was unveiled in 1997. It was relocated a few meters from the main road during the widening of the national highway under the Golden Quadrangle project in 1999. It was cleaned and painted during the 200th anniversary of the Kittur War, in 2024.

Rudragouda Patil, president of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike taluk unit, demanded that the 29-year-old statue be replaced immediately. He claimed that he had submitted a memorandum to replace the statue four years ago, but officers ignored it. “We can understand that the new statue cannot be installed in three days, before Kittur Utsav. But the government can at least repair it before the event. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who will come for the valedictory address, should announce that the state government will not only replace the statue but also unveil a bigger one in its place,” he said.

Sri Madiwala Rajayogindra Swami of Kittur Kalmath also demanded the installation of a new statue. MLC Hanumant Nirani demanded immediate repairs and installation of a new statue.

Published – 20 Oct 2026 11:08 IST