Monolith Manoeuvre — Veeragallu Statue, Koira to Bengaluru

Scope: Heavy & Specialised Transport · Route Survey & Modification · Project Logistics
Client: Bengaluru Development Authority
Origin: Koira Quarry, Karnataka
Destination: Bengaluru City Centre, Karnataka
Cargo: Veeragallu Monolith Statue
Weight: 700 MT (pre-carving) / 450 MT (post-carving)
Height: 78 feet
Distance: 60 km

The Project

Nabros has moved nuclear reactors, wind turbine blades, and power transformers. But the Veeragallu assignment was unlike any other in the company’s history — not because of the weight, though 700 MT before carving is a significant figure, but because the cargo was being carved while Nabros held it.

The Veeragallu statue — a 78-foot monolith for the National Military Memorial in Bengaluru, carved from a single stone — required Nabros to provide lifting, rotation, and positional support throughout the carving process before the completed statue could be transported 60 km from the Koira quarry to Bengaluru City Centre.

It was an assignment that combined heavy engineering, precision lifting, and road logistics into a single, continuous operation.

The Challenge

The challenge began before the statue moved a metre.

A 700 MT monolith being actively carved requires controlled, precise lifting and rotation at every stage of the sculpting process. The stone had to be lifted and rotated 360° to allow sculptors to work on all faces — and this had to be done repeatedly, at different heights, with the stone’s weight and centre of gravity shifting as material was removed. Any error in lift planning or rotation execution risked damage to a one-of-a-kind national monument that could not be replaced.

Once carving was complete and the statue weighed approximately 450 MT, the transportation challenge began. The quarry exit presented a 45-degree sharp incline — a gradient that would challenge a standard vehicle, let alone a 450 MT monolith on a trailer. From there, the 60-km route to Bengaluru ran through village roads with tight turning radii, congested corridors, and road surfaces not designed for heavy transport.

The statue was destined for a national memorial. The standard of care required matched that significance entirely.

The Execution

Lifting & 360-Degree Rotation During Carving
Nabros provided continuous lifting support throughout the carving process — positioning the monolith, maintaining stability during active sculpting, and executing 360-degree rotations to present each face of the stone to the sculptors. This was not a single lift and set-down — it was a sustained, precision lifting operation conducted in coordination with the sculpting team over an extended period.

Quarry Exit — 45-Degree Incline
The quarry exit presented a 45-degree sharp incline that required specific trailer and rigging configuration to manage the 450 MT load safely down the gradient without compromising cargo integrity or convoy stability. The descent was planned, rigged, and executed with full engineering oversight.

Route Preparation — Koira to Bengaluru
An 800-metre access road was constructed from the quarry to the main road — creating the corridor needed to move the statue from its carving location to a road suitable for transport. Along the 60-km route, turning points at four locations required widening to accommodate the statue’s dimensions on village roads with limited geometry.

Road Transport — Village Roads to City Centre
The 60-km movement from Koira to Bengaluru City Centre traversed congested village roads that had never been surveyed for cargo of this weight or dimension. Nabros managed the full road movement — route preparation, convoy supervision, traffic coordination, and safe passage through every village and congested corridor along the route.

Erection at the National Military Memorial
On arrival at the National Military Memorial in Bengaluru, Nabros fabricated a specially designed J-Stick lifting apparatus and used specialised lifting towers to erect the 78-foot Veeragallu statue to its final vertical position — completing the assignment from quarry to installation.

The Outcome

The Veeragallu statue stands today at the National Military Memorial in Bengaluru — 78 feet of stone, carved from a single monolith, lifted and rotated throughout its creation and transported 60 km through Karnataka’s roads before being erected at its permanent home. From the first lift at Koira quarry to the final erection at the memorial, Nabros was present at every stage.

Some cargo carries commercial value. This one carried national significance. Nabros treated it accordingly.

Tags: Heavy & Specialised Transport · Route Survey & Modification · Project Logistics