Grand Statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to Be Erected in Tokyo by Amhi Punekar Organisation

Tokyo/Pune, 24th October 2024: A grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the great king, will be erected in Tokyo, Japan. The statue depicts Maharaj sitting on a horse. The Bhumi Pujan for the statue will take place in January, while the inauguration is scheduled for March. Soil and water from 11 forts in Maharashtra will be transported for the Bhumi Pujan, as per tradition.

The statue is being erected in Tokyo on behalf of the Amhi Punekar Organisation in collaboration with the All Japan Association of Indians (AJAI) and the Edogawa India Culture Centre in Tokyo, said Hemant Jadhav, president of Amhi Punekar, today. The 11 forts in Maharashtra have received preliminary nominations for UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. These forts include Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Raigad, Suvarnadurga, Panhala, Vijaydurga, Sindhudurg, Khanderi, Rajgad, and Pratapgad, along with the Gingee (Jinji) Fort in Tamil Nadu.

The main objective of the program is to promote awareness of this heritage. The statue will be crafted by the famous sculptor Vivek Khatavkar’s sons, Vipul and Viraj, from Pune.