With Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) receiving approval to fell trees, work on what is set to become the tallest statue of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is expected to commence next week. The statue, depicting the Maratha King seated on a throne, will stand nearly 52 feet tall.
A groundbreaking ceremony took place at the Nagpur University campus in June last year, attended by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and other political leaders from various parties. The original plan aimed for the statue’s unveiling a year after the groundbreaking ceremony.
According to Mangesh Duke, Secretary of Shiv Smarak Samiti, the NGO responsible for the project, all major approvals were secured, and they were awaiting clearance to cut four trees at the site. “We recently obtained the permission and will need to deposit Rs 1.93 lakh with NMC before proceeding with the work,” he said, adding that the delay occurred because the Samiti preferred to move forward only after securing all necessary approvals.
The statue of the Maratha King seated on a throne will stand nearly 52 feet tall, with the figure of the King itself planned to be around 40 feet high. “The design has been approved by the government, and all safety norms will be strictly followed, especially in light of the Malvan incident,” he said. Once the work begins, it is expected to take around nine months to complete the statue, he added.
Gaurav Dubewar, principal designer of M/s Team 360 Designs, the firm responsible for executing the project, stated that the statue would weigh approximately 10 tonnes. “In terms of height, it can be compared to a ground plus four-storey building,” he explained. He also noted that, as part of the safety measures, the structure will be made earthquake-resistant.
“The load-bearing capacity of the soil has been tested, which has determined the materials to be used in the construction,” said Dubewar. “In terms of weight, 10 tonnes is not particularly heavy. For comparison, a typical five-storey building weighs more than 10 tonnes,” he added.
“The Samiti has undergone a lengthy process for getting approvals. In addition to structural front, approvals have also been obtained from the State’s Directorate of Arts,” Duke explained. “The facial features of the statue have been finalized based on this approval, and work on the primary structure is currently underway in Kolhapur.”