Mumbai: The Maharashtra government is leaving no stone unturned to make the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj memorial a spectacular one.
The government has invited the descendents of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj — Sambhaji Raje Bhosale, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, and Udayan Raje Bhosale, an Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP — and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to accompany Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the ceremony in the Arabian Sea. Sand from a few forts and water from various rivers of the state has been collected for the ceremony. The Bandra-Kurla Complex will have a huge set themed on Shivaji Maharaj’s era. A film on the warrior king’s life will be showcased during the ceremony. Also, the Navy has been roped in for security purposes and the sea route towards the memorial spot was seized from Tuesday. The entry for the statue will be from Girgaum Chowpatty.
“The descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mr Thackeray, the governor and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will attend the foundation stone ceremony along with the Prime Minister. Security has been beefed up on the PM’s route. All the people can watch the ceremony live at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC),” public works department minister Chandrakant Patil told The Asian Age.
Water from various rivers and sand from forts have been collected for the foundation stone ceremony, the minister said. “A film has been made on Shivaji’s life and the memorial. It will be shown to the Prime Minister on the way to the spot and to the public at the BKC ceremony,” Mr Patil added.
The film was made by art director Nitin Desai, and it also depicts part of his popular television serial based on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The set at the BKC has been also designed by him.
Meanwhile, fishermen and yachts have been told not to enter the area where the ceremony is to take place until the function ends. “The Prime Minister will attend an inauguration programme of the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s campus at Panvel and he will have lunch in the Navy area in Colaba. He will then lay the foundation stone before heading to BKC. Mr Modi will then leave for Pune for the inauguration of the metro,” a protocol officer said, on the condition of anonymity.
Though it is the state government that organised the function, the BJP is using the opportunity to blow its trumpet ahead of the BMC polls, which are scheduled for next year. About one lakh people are expected to attend the even in the BKC where the PM will address them.
12-year project:
- The Congress-NCP government in 2004 first announced the building of the Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial in the Arabian Sea. The party also used the proposed monument as a poll plank. However, there was no progress, as the project got stuck owing to green permissions.
- The total cost of the project is Rs 3,200 crore and it will be 309 feet high, taller than the Statue of Liberty.
- The memorial will have exhibition on the Maratha emperor, an amphitheatre and library.
