An equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is installed in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir. The statue will be inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday (November 7). On this occasion, the water of all the rivers on the Kanyakumari-Kashmir route will be collected and the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be anointed by it. The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is installed along the Line of Control near Kupwara.
Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra’s Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and army officers will be present at the puja. Rajesh Kshirsagar, executive chairman of the Maharashtra State Planning Board, and Hemant Jadhav, president of ‘Amhi Punekar’ (We Punekars) NGO held a press conference to provide this information. Trustees of the institute including Abhayraj Shirole, Milind Pawar, and Akhil Jhanjale were present at this time.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the head of the Yedtore Mutt, Mysore – Sri Sri Shankar Bharathi Mahaswamiji are scheduled to attend the inauguration ceremony. The equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was flagged off from Mumbai Raj Bhavan to Kupwara on 20th October, accompanied by drum beats and chants of “Jai Bhavani Jai Shivaji”.
Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais accompanied by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Minister of Cultural Affairs Sudhir Mungantiwar flagged off the statue. The statue completed a journey of approximately 2200 km before reaching Kupwara, where the soldiers extended an extraordinary welcome to the revered figure of the Maratha icon. The Rashtriya Rifles and 41 Maratha Light Infantry Regiment based in Kupwara received the King’s statue.
Rajesh Kshirsagar said, “The Maharashtra government will extend all necessary support for the memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Kupwara. A grand hall will be erected at the memorial site in a few days. In this hall, the history of our revered king will be shown through audio-visual medium. There will also be an exhibition of weapons and information about the war tactics of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”
He added, “Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other dignitaries will reach Kupwara on 7th November, after which the inaugural function will be held. We are also involved in this project along with the ‘Amhi Punekar’ organisation as it is a memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and we are providing all the necessary assistance for this work.”
Hemant Jadhav said, “The flag to be hoisted behind the statue will also be consecrated and worshipped at the event. On this occasion, the water of all the rivers on the Kanyakumari-Kashmir route will be collected and Jal Abhishek will be performed on the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at 10 a.m. The site will then be open to the public.”
Notably, this year, on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will celebrate a Diwali feast program with the soldiers at the same place.
The announcement about the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was made in February 2023
The ‘Amhi Punekar’ (We Punekar) NGO said on 14th February 2023 that it would erect the statue of the Hindu king near the India-Pakistan line of control. The motive behind this was to ensure that the soldiers fighting the enemies get motivation from the ideal and moral values of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by looking at his statue on a daily basis and that they remember the bravery of the Hindu king and get the strength to fight against the enemies.
The Bhoomi Pujan for this statue was performed in March 2023. The soil and water from Raigad, Torana, Shivneri, Rajgad, and Pratapgad forts, which have become holy by the footsteps of Shivaraya, were taken to Kashmir for the Bhoomi Poojan by the Amhi Punekar NGO.
It is notable that two statues of the great Marathi ruler were established in Jammu and Kashmir in January 2022 by the Maratha regiment. One of these statues has been installed near the LOC at a height of 14800 feet above sea level. Now, this statue by the Pune-based NGO will soon be inaugurated.
