U’khand govt finalises site for installation of Thiruvalluvar’s statue

Uttarakhand government on Friday decided to install the statue of Tamil saint-poet Thiruvalluvar in the lawns of Haridwar’s Mela Bhawan on the bank of the Ganga with Chief Minister Harish Rawat writing a reassuring letter to his TN counterpart in a bid to assuage hurt sentiments.

A team of senior IAS officials sent by Chief Minister Harish Rawat to Haridwar finalised a spot inside the Mela Bhawan lawns where a pedestal is being built to install the statue of the great poet, Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority Vice Chairman Meenaskshi Sundaram said.

The lawn where the statue is being installed is bigger and adjacent to the one where it was kept temporarily, the official said, adding the area is being beautified to hold a glittering function to mark the installation of the statue.

Asked when the installation will take place, Sundaram said the tentative date suggested by the Chief Minister was July 26 but Haridwar district administration is of the view that the ceremonial installation of the statue on July 26 will coincide with the peak of the ongoing Kanwar mela and it would be better to hold the function after the conclusion of the fair on July 31.

“We shall discuss the date with the Chief Minister and do as he instructs us to do. However, in our opinion the first week of August will be the ideal time for this,” he said.