Shivaji statue collapse: Permission granted for a 6-foot structure only?

The recent collapse of a 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort, Sindhudurg, has ignited a heated political debate in Maharashtra.

Unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Navy Day last year (4 December 2023), the statue — now in pieces — is still generating heated allegations of corruption from the opposition, while the state government counters that their political rivals are politicising a 'bad weather' mishap.

Now, adding fuel to the fire, Rajiv Mishra, director of the Maharashtra directorate of arts, has 'clarified' to Marathi daily Loksatta that permission was granted only for a six-foot statue on that site and the directorate had remained "unaware" of plans to construct a 35-foot structure there.

“When permission is sought to erect a statue in the state, the Directorate requires a clay model of the proposed statue. A committee of experts, art historians, and artists examines this model before giving approval,” the newspaper quoted Mishra as saying.

According to Mishra, the sculptor presented a six-foot clay model, which the directorate approved. The Navy was informed accordingly.

However, Mishra claims, the directorate was never informed of any decisions to increase the statue’s height to 35 feet or to use stainless steel in its construction.

He does underscore that obtaining permission from the directorate and from the PWD (public works department) as well is mandatory before any statue can be erected.

Indeed, a state government resolution from 2017 mandates that the directorate must check the quality of materials as well as the aesthetics of any statue being constructed.

And yet, if Mishra is to be believed, a 35-foot bronze statue — crafted by 24-year-old sculptor Jaydeep Apte — was constructed and unveiled without final approval from the directorate of arts.

According to sources, Apte and his contractor failed to follow the standard procedure, raising concerns about the quality of materials as well as the statue’s overall structural integrity.

Local residents and experts have expressed outrage over the statue’s collapse, with calls for a comprehensive review of the project and its failure.

Senior sculptor Bhagwan Rampure criticised the incident as “deeply shameful”, stressing the importance of engineering precision in statues exceeding 15 feet. He noted that larger statues require reinforced legs, thorough land surveys and stability assessments, particularly in areas prone to seismic activity.

Further criticism came from a former J J School of Art faculty member, who highlighted the unusual thickness of the metal used — reportedly 1.5 inches for a hollow statue. The expert said that such thickness should have been reserved for the statue’s internal skeleton, rather than the exterior structure.

The Hindustan Times reported that in a previous interview, Apte had mentioned using 3D printing technology to overcome challenges in constructing the statue. However, experts have pointed out that 3D printing is typically employed as an intermediate step, rather than for producing a large-scale final product.

As the investigation into the statue’s collapse continues, the incident has raised significant questions about the oversight and execution of public monuments, with political ramifications that are likely to persist.