Shivaji Maharaj’s 91-foot tall statue unveiled in Malvan nine months after collapse incident

Malvan: Nearly nine months after the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed at the Rajkot Fort in Maharashtra’s coastal Sindhudurg district, a new 91-feet-tall statue of the warrior king was unveiled at the same site on Sunday.

The previous 35-foot statue had collapsed in August last year, less than eight months after its installation, leading to a widespread outrage against the government. That statue had been unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4 in 2023 during the Navy Day celebrations. The collapse led to the arrest of its sculptor-contractor Jaydeep Apte.

Speaking at the unveiling of the new grander statue at the fort in Malvan, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said adequate care has been taken so that the new statue lasts at least 100 years in any environment. The maintenance of the statue has been given to those who built it.

“The statue is 91 feet tall and has a 10 feet pedestal,” he said.

The contract to build the statue was given to renowned sculptor Ram Sutar and Anil Sutar’s firm Ram Sutar Art Creations Pvt Ltd that built the ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat.

Fadnavis said it can withstand storms higher in intensity than what was witnessed in the past. This is perhaps the biggest statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the country, he said.

“After the unfortunate incident (of the statue collase), we had decided that under any circumstances, we will build another grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” Fadnavis said.