Mumbai to build Shivaji statue taller than Statue of Liberty

Mumbai, June 3 : The Maharashtra Government has decided to install a 309-foot-tall Shivaji statue, four feet taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York, in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai's Marine Drive.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and his deputy R R Patil visited the site today with senior officials and Deshmukh directed his officers to ensure quick clearances for the Rs 200-crore project.

The location of the statue will be at the centre of the curvature of the Queen's Necklace where the state plans to make an artificial island by reclaiming 7.5 acres about one kilometres from the shore.

The 159-foot-tall bronze statue of Shivaji riding a horse will be installed on a 150-foot-high pedestal.

The statue of Liberty is 151 feet (46 meters) tall (305 feet including base and pedestal).

The statue would be among the top ten tallest statues in the world.

The project is estimated to take two years and is subject to environment clearances.

The statue was first promised in the Congress-National Conference Party (NCP) manifesto in 2004 but absence of an appropriate location caused the delay.

ANI