KUPWARA: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, unveiled a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.
Maharashtra’s Cultural Affairs Minister, Sudhir Mungantiwar, was also present during the occasion.
While addressing people after unveiling the statue, LG Sinha paid tribute to Shivaji Maharaj and said that the statue would be a source of inspiration for the people and the brave hearts of the army.
“I pay tribute to the great warrior and founder of ‘Swarajya’, Chhatrapati Shivaji. The statue of the great Shivaji will be a source of inspiration for the people and the brave hearts of the army. By unleashing his military genius and moral force, Shivaji mobilised millions of Indians and achieved sovereignty for the Maratha empire. His universal and eternal values continue to be relevant today and guide us on the path of social equality and peaceful coexistence,” LG Sinha said.
#WATCH | J&K LG Manoj Sinha along with Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, unveiled a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Kupwara, on Tuesday. (07.11) pic.twitter.com/tWDNxxgwxZ
— ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2023
“Shivaji was a born leader who wrote a new history of India through his brilliant victories against the enemy. The youth should follow Shivaji’s ideals of morality, right conduct and respect for all religions and sects,” he added.
On October 20, 2023, the equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was welcomed in a ceremony from the Mumbai Raj Bhavan amid the beating of drums and chants of Jai Bhawani Jai Shivaji. From there, Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar showed the green flag and guided the statue to Kupwara.
This journey started from Maharashtra and reached Kupwara in a week, covering a distance of about 2200 km. The statue was also welcomed while worshipping at historical places in important cities along the route.
#WATCH | Mumbai: "It is a proud thing for the country that a magnificent equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will unveiled near the India-Pakistan border (in the Kupwara district of Jammu & Kashmir) on November 7. I am very obliged to get a chance to be part of this… pic.twitter.com/bcXQYCXbZC
— ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2023
The foundation stone of this statue was laid in the Indian army camp at Kupwara on this year’s Padwa day itself.
For this, soil and water from five forts namely Shivneri, Torna, Rajgad, Pratapgad and Raigad were brought. This statue is ten and a half feet tall and will be erected on a 7 by 3 square with almost the same height from the ground.
The statue has been built in collaboration with the ‘Aamhi Punekar Foundation’ and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Smarak Samiti. (ANI)