The Maharashtra government has awarded a ₹20 crore contract to Ram Sutar Art Creations for a new 60-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg, following the collapse of the previous 35-foot statue on August 26, 2024. Led by Anil Ram Sutar, who also built the Statue of Unity, the new statue will be more than double the size of the original. To ensure durability, the company must provide a 100-year guarantee and oversee maintenance for 10 years. The statue is expected to be completed by February 2025, possibly unveiled on Shivaji’s birth anniversary.
The previous statue, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2023, collapsed due to corrosion and structural faults. This incident led to the formation of two state committees, one to investigate the cause and another to oversee the new project.
