Devendra Fadnavis unveils 91-ft statue of Shivaji Maharaj

Mumbai: Nine months after the collapse of a 35-feet statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district that embarrassed the Maharashtra government and became a major election issue, the government on Sunday inaugurated another statue of the warrior king at the Rajkot Fort.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis unveiled the new 91-feet bronze statue of Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Malvan. Calling the statue "magnificent and divine", he said, "There are different kinds of storms and cyclones that come around in Konkan, however, this statue will withstand all kinds of winds. This statue will withstand any kind of adverse weather for the next 100 years." Fadnavis's assertion of the statue being able to withstand strong winds is important as the earlier statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji collapsed within eight months of it being installed at the Rajkot Fort.The statue was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023, and it collapsed on August 26, 2024. The then CM Eknath Shinde had blamed heavy winds that led to the fall of the statue.

The Maharashtra Opposition had claimed that there was corruption in the contracts involved in the construction of the statue. It became an election issue with even Sharad Pawar of the NCP (SP) alleging that corruption had led to the collapse of the statue.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a highly revered figure in Maharashtra's history and the Opposition also made it a campaign issue saying the fall of the statue was a bad omen for the state. An embarrassed Maharashtra government then announced that they would build a bigger statue of Shivaji Maharaj at the site and also filed an FIR against the contractor and structural consultant for the statue.

On Sunday, Fadnavis said that the surrounding area would be developed for tourists who would be able to observe the grandeur of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.