CM unveils 91-foot bronze statue in Malvan, engineered to withstand cyclonic winds
Eight months after a 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed due to heavy rainfall and strong winds, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday inaugurated a new 91-foot bronze statue at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, Sindhudurg district.
The original statue had been unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2023 but toppled just seven months later, in August 2024, triggering political uproar and allegations of mismanagement. The collapse led to the arrest of both the original sculptor and the structural consultant.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, CM Fadnavis said, “After the unfortunate collapse last year, our government made a firm commitment to rebuild the statue quickly—and we’ve delivered on that promise. The coastal Konkan region has faced multiple cyclones, and this statue has been designed with those conditions in mind. It can withstand wind speeds as high—or higher—than those recorded in past storms.”
The Chief Minister credited the speedy completion to the collaborative efforts of sculptor Ram Sutar, designers from Mumbai’s J.J. School of Art, and structural engineers from IIT. “With a total height of 91 feet, including a 10-foot pedestal, this may well be the tallest statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” he added, noting that it is built to last for at least 100 years in any weather.
Following the 2024 collapse, the Public Works Department (PWD) issued a fresh tender for the construction of a new statue, with an estimated cost of Rs 20 crore. The tender included design, engineering, procurement, construction, erection, and a 10-year maintenance contract. Two firms submitted bids: Garnet Interiors at Rs 20.90 crore and Ram Sutar Art Creations Pvt Ltd at Rs 36.05 crore. The latter was eventually awarded the contract after it agreed to match the lower bid.
The new statue was built by Ram Sutar Art Creations Pvt Ltd, led by renowned sculptor and Padma Shri recipient Ram V. Sutar and his son Anil R. Sutar. Ram Sutar is also the creator of the 182-meter-high Statue of Unity in Gujarat, the world’s tallest statue.
In the aftermath of the original statue’s collapse, structural consultant Chetan Patil and sculptor Jaydeep Apte were arrested on charges related to construction flaws. Both were later granted bail—Patil in November 2024 and Apte in January 2025.
The incident sparked sharp criticism from opposition leaders ahead of the state elections, with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) accusing the BJP-led government of corruption and negligence in awarding the initial contract.
The new statue, with its reinforced engineering and long-term maintenance plan, aims to restore public faith in the project while paying tribute to the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
