Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Minister Fadnavis expressed his satisfaction over the reinstallation of the statue. “I am happy and content that the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Rajkot has once again been erected with brilliance, self-respect, and grandeur greater than before. After the unfortunate incident that occurred previously, I resolved to reinstall the statue in record time. Today, I had the honor of worshipping the same statue,” he said, extending his congratulations to the Public Works Department for their efforts.
The event witnessed the presence of several prominent leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Ministers Shivendrasingh Raje Bhosale, Nitesh Rane, and Indranil Naik, MP Narayan Rane, MLAs Kalidas Kolambkar, Deepak Kesarkar, Ravindra Chavan, Nilesh Rane, and Niranjan Davkhare, among other dignitaries.
Highlighting the engineering behind the monument, Fadnavis noted, “The Konkan region experiences various types of storms. After studying their intensity, the statue has been designed to withstand even more severe storms in the future. This is possibly the tallest statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the country. The statue itself stands 60 feet tall, with the sword extending it to 83 feet, and the total height from the ground reaching 93 feet. It is built to endure for at least 100 years in any environmental condition, and its maintenance responsibility has been entrusted to the same team that erected it.”
Further outlining the government's vision for the site, the Chief Minister announced, “The surrounding land will be acquired and a comprehensive system will be developed to enhance the site. We want tourists visiting this place to experience the essence of Swarajya and witness the grandeur that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj stood for.” He also emphasized that the state government is prioritizing the overall development of the Konkan region.