Shiv Jayanti Special: The story behind world’s first equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in Pune

“After the statue came up, many people were inspired to join the military. Our lives are guided by inspirations and idols that surround us, and Shivaji Maharaj inspired not only warriors of the freedom struggle such as Lokmanya Tilak, but also Mahatma Phule and other social reformers,” says Pravin Gaikwad of the Sambhaji Brigade, who worshipped at the statue for six years while a pupil at SSPMS.

Inscribed on the pedestal of the statue are the names of the “originators of the memorial movement” — Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, Alija Bahadur Madho Rao Scindia and “Lt-Col Sir Rajaram Maharaj”. This is because it was the idea of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, the king of Kolhapur, to build a memorial to Shivaji in Pune which would have a central hall with a life-size statue and a hostel to accommodate 100 Maratha pupils. He first presented the plan in November 1917 and included all the other Maratha chiefs in the project.

Capt Shivaji Mahadkar, who has researched extensively on the subject and written on it, tells The Indian Express, “The idea was mooted primarily to get recognition for Shivaji Maharaj because the British did not acknowledge him for what he was at that time. There was no better person to initiate this than the Prince of Wales himself because his coming there would be an important milestone.”

In his brief history of the All India Shri Shivaji Memorial Society (AISSMS), a group of institutes, Mahadkar writes, “Around 7.5 acre were acquired at Bhamburda village in front of Shaniwarwada for Rs one lakh. On Sept 1, 1921, Chhatrapati Shahu wrote to Lord Reading, then Governor General of India, …. (that) its foundation stone be laid at the hands of his Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales. The preparations for the foundation stone laying ceremony started in real earnest and unbounded fervour. On the morning of Nov 19, 1921, thousands of people gave a tremendous ovation to the Prince of Wales at Poona Station and outside. The enthusiasm reached its climax when the Chhatrapati conducted the Prince through the crowds. Their shouts of Prince-ki-Jai, Shivaji-ki-jai, Shahu-ki-jai echoed throughout the neighbourhood. The Prince of Wales sat in a royal carriage drawn by six horses. The grand procession reached Bhamburda accompanied by the Kolhapur Lancers and the Gwalior Imperial Service Lancers.”

As part of his speech, Chhatrapati Shahu said, “The Maratha has come into his own, and we believe, that we have now the right to a place in the empire’s battle line, with the best and the bravest of the fighting races. It now rests with us to take full advantage of the educational opportunities and the equality which all peoples of whatever religion enjoy as their birthright.”

It was, however, not Chhatrapati Shahu who carried forward the task to completion. Six months after the foundation stone-laying ceremony, Chhatrapati Shahu passed away and after Scindia also died, Chhatrapati Rajaram took up the responsibility of establishing the memorial.

Who would make the statue of such ambitious stature? Chhatrapati Rajaram upheld Indian aesthetics though many felt that a European artist should be brought in. “Rao Bahadur Mhatre was a very senior sculptor so the work of making the statue was given to him.

Nanasaheb Karmarkar, who was just embarking on his career and had done some work that had impressed Chhatrapati Rajaram, was assigned the work of making the four plaques on the base of the statue,” says Mahadkar. On the pedestal are the four plaques showing important facets of the king’s personality — his faith in Goddess Bhavani, his coronation ceremony and the battle of Wani-Dindori with the Mughals. “The plaque depicting the famous incidents of Kalyan Khajina was mounted on the rear of the pedestal,” says Mahadkar.

When Mhatre began to fall behind schedule and, since the statue had to be installed in time for the tercentenary of the birth of Shivaji Maharaj, Karmarkar was given this work as well. Incidentally, at this time, it was thought that Shivaji Maharaj was born on June 16, 1628. Today, February 19, 1630, marks his date of birth.

No ordinary studio could hold such a statue. Karmarkar was allotted space in Chhatrapati Rajaram’s palace in Mumbai. “It had to be large enough to accommodate a 60 ft travelling crane, and the entrance to the studio had to be large enough to allow entry of trucks into the studio easily. It took two months for the studio to be ready in all respects,” writes Mahadkar. The model for the horse in the statue is Shahnawaz, a prized Arabian steed from Chhatrapati Rajaram’s stable that was brought especially from Kolhapur to Mumbai.

Under the raised leg of the horse in the statue is an inscription: Mazagaon Dock Founders 1828. This is because the requirements of the statue could not be accommodated in any normal space — a crane that could lift 15 tonnes and cast 15 to 20 tonnes was among the main requirements. Mazagaon Dock in Mumbai was where the 13.5 x 13 x 3.5 ft statue was finally cast on June 1, 1928. It needed “175 workers to pour molten bronze simultaneously from two barrels containing eight tonnes of liquid bronze each, hooked to cranes at two ends, to create a single piece casting, for the first time ever, in India”. Mahadkar writes that almost 500 workers waited through the night to witness the successful completion of the casting.

“The opening of the cast was an unbelievable sight for the onlookers. Dumbfounded, they witnessed the statue come to life. Not only did Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj seem alive but the horse appeared to be breathing. The entire campus of Mazagaon docks reverberated with the echoes of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki Jai,” he adds.

If the Mazagaon Dock would not have such an experience again, the railways authorities are unlikely to have to go over the measurements of a tunnel to find if a larger-than-life statue would pass through. It was found that 9.5 ft was the lowest height of the tunnel. “The height of the wagon from the track was three ft. Therefore, it was necessary to make a special trailer which would be only one foot from the track. It was decided not to pack the statue….Finally with an escort of 50 persons in three wagons, and the specially designed wagon towed by a railway engine, with traffic brought to a standstill on both the sides of the route, the statue started its historic journey from Mazagaon docks to Wadala station to Pune on June 10, 1928. When the statue passed through the tunnel, the head of the statue was barely three inches below the top,” writes Mahadkar.

The statue would have to face more challenges in Pune as the clock ticked for the tercentenary. For one, the holes that had been made for it were in different places and had to be corrected. The Governor of Bombay had arrived and was staying at the Governor’s House, which still stands in Pune. In the evening, he would ride to the campus from the house to check the progress on the statue and determine if the unveiling ceremony could be conducted at all. The other problem was that though the panels, that one can now see on the pedestal, had been ready for some time, the committee of historians and other experts that had been appointed by the government to inspect and record if the depictions, such as the costumes, were historically accurate, had not submitted their approval report. The solution was that only one plaque – of Chhatrapati Shivaji with Goddess Bhavani – was installed for the unveiling. The remaining three were put up later.

As the inscription on the pedestal bears testimony, the “statue was unveiled by HE Sir Leslie Orme Wilson, Governor of Bombay, on 16th June 1928”. The deadline met, the statue began to attract thousands of people and has become a landmark in the city. “He fought the Mughals and so many others and established his own kingdom. What can’t we do if we set our minds to it?” says Gaikwad.