Minister Proposes 100ft Statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort

Shiv Sena minister Deepak Kesarkar has called on Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to construct a 100-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg. This follows the collapse of a previously erected statue. Kesarkar suggests additional developments, including parking space and a jetty for visitor access.

Shiv Sena minister Deepak Kesarkar has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to construct a 100-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg, following the collapse of a statue last month.

In a letter to CM Shinde, Kesarkar noted that the previous statue was built on 33 'gunthas' of land. He suggested that additional land could be reserved by the Malvan Municipal Council for vehicle parking.

Kesarkar proposed that combining this reserved land could facilitate the creation of 'Shiv Srushti,' a grand memorial honoring the warrior king. Kesarkar, a native of Sindhudurg district, also suggested building a jetty for visitors to access the Sindhudurg fort via boat to appreciate Chhatrapati Shivaji's naval achievements.

The School Education Minister mentioned that he has already presented his plan to Public Works Department Minister Ravindra Chavan and will soon present it to the chief minister.

The previous 35-foot statue, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2022, collapsed on August 26 due to strong winds. This week, the Maharashtra government issued a tender for a new 60-foot statue, to be completed in six months at a cost of Rs 20 crore.

(With inputs from agencies.)