Maharana Pratap's statue adorns Parliament

New Delhi, Aug 21 (UNI) A statue of Mewar ruler and great warrior Maharana Pratap, astride his famous steed "Chetak" was today inaugurated in Parliament House.

The statue, costing about Rs 1.10 crore, was the handiwork of Orissa-based craftsman Fakeer Charan Pareeda, who started it in August 2006 and completed in July this year.

The statue was unveiled by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee at a simple function attended, among others, by former Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and former Prime Minister V P Singh, besides a number of union ministers and MPs.

Born on May 9, 1540 at Kumbhalgarh in Rajasthan, Maharana Pratap became the ruler of Mewar at the age of 32 and ruled from 1572 to 1597. He was known for his indomitable will and sterling character, a fearless warrior and an accomplished commander.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said it was a great occasion for the people of Rajasthan that a huge statue of "Cavalier Maharana Pratap carrying ceremonial umbrella" had been erected in Parliament.

According to a Rajasthan Government release, the statue was gifted by Mr Jaswant Singh, who is also the convener of Maharana Pratap Kosh and Dingal Sahitya Sansthan.

UNI