Pune’s Chandni Chowk to get 20-feet-tall Shivaji statue, PMC initiates process to get clearances

“The statue, made of bronze, will weigh around 2,450 kg. It will be installed on a concrete foundation of 17-feet height. The expenses of the entire project, including the statue, will be incurred by the civic body,” said municipal commissioner Rajendra Bhosale in the proposal approved by the general body last week.

The Chandni Chowk multi-level flyover junction was recently redeveloped. At the Chandni Chowk junction, a 5,542 square metre of vacant land is available. A memorial — Hindavi Swarajya Nirmiti Memorial — will be constructed on this land. According to the PMC, the Shivaji statue will be installed at this memorial.

The memorial will have a stone entrance and next to it would be a toilet, a fountain in the shape of lotus flower and in the centre of it, the bronze statue of Shivaji will be erected. The entire memorial will be developed at a cost of Rs 7.81 crore.

As per the state government rules framed in 2017, permission has to be taken from relevant departments for installing statues of national heroes and prominent personalities in the state.

Accordingly, the foundation for the statue has to have no objection certificate from the chief architecture of the Maharashtra government. No objection certificates will also have to be ensured from the Executive Engineer of the state Public Works Department, Special Branch of the city police, Art Directorate of the state government, city traffic police and Principal Secretary of the state Urban Development Department. All necessary documents have to be submitted to a committee headed by the district collector for the final approval.