Maharashtra Approves Increase Of Two Metres In Height Of Shivaji Statue To Make It World’s Tallest Monument

While Mumbaikars battled water logging and other annual monsoon woes, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sanctioned an additional Rs 81 crore to increase the height of the Shivaji Memorial statue by two metres.

At a meeting convened by the CM, the committee set up to overview the Shivaji Memorial Project gave its nod to increase the height of the memorial from 210 metres to 212 metres, reported the Times of India.

"The Spring Temple Buddha in China was earlier proposed to be 208 meters tall, and our memorial was to be 210 meters. But the Chinese authorities made some construction at the statue's base, taking the height to 210 meters. It prompted us to revise our design and increase the height to 212 meters," Chief Minister Fadnavis said, speaking to media after the meeting.

The increase would be in the pedestal which is said to be required to bear the load of the bronze statue of the legendary Maratha ruler. This has taken the total cost of the project to Rs 2,581 crore plus the Goods and Service Tax.

The decision to ink the actual agreement with Larson and Turbo, which won the tender for the project, was also taken during the meeting.

Work on the memorial, which would be built mid-sea on an outcrop situated 3.2 kilometre from Nariman point, is set to begin post monsoons.

Amidst opposition from citizen groups citing wasteful expenditure and ecological damage, the project will take off once it receives a clearance from the environment ministry.

Also Read: Why The Shivaji Statue Must Rise