Maharashtra: Foundation ceremony held for Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot Fort in Malvan

Representational Image. Pic/iStock

The foundation ceremony for the installation of a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, located in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, was held on Wednesday morning. According to media reports, Maharashtra's Minister for Fisheries and Ports, Nitesh Rane, performed the ritual.

In August 2024, the 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort collapsed, just seven months after it was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023, during the Navy Day celebration.

FIR was filed against 24, 24-year-old Jaydeep Apte who had sculpted the statue and structural consultant Chetan Patil, in connection to the collapse of the statue. Apte, is the owner of an art company based out of Kalyan, allegedly with no prior experience of constructing large statues.

The incident sparked a blame game between the agencies involved in the statue's installation and also gave opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders an opportunity to criticize the ruling Mahayuti government, led by then-Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Almost a month after the collapse, the state Public Works Department (PWD) floated a tender for the construction of a new statue. Renowned sculptors Ram Sutar and Anil Sutar's firm, Ram Sutar Art Creations Pvt Ltd, which built the ‘Statue of Unity' in Gujarat, has been assigned the task of creating the new statue.

Nitesh, guardian minister, of Sindhudurg district stated that the process to install the new statue would be done soon, but cannot specifically tell the month in which the work will be done.

Besides, Nitesh, his elder brother Nilesh Rane (MLA), former minister Deepak Kesakar (from Ekanth Shinde-led Shiv Sena camp) and officials from the PWD, police department were present during the foundation ceremony process held at the Rajkot Fort in Malvan.