PM Modi unveiled Netaji statue on Kartavya Path

Debjit Mukherjee: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled the historic Netaji statue on Kartavya Path. It was housed in the India Gate canopy. The jet black granite statue has been carved from a monolithic block of granite weighing 280 MT. The installation work was underway on Wednesday on the eve of its unveiling.

The statue was installed at the same place where a ‘hologram statue’ of Netaji was unveiled earlier this year on Parakram Diwas (January 23) by the Prime Minister to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Bose. The towering statue of Netaji is “one of the tallest, realistic, monolithic, handmade sculptures in India”. PM Modi had on January 21 assured that a grand statue of Netaji made of granite will be installed at India Gate as a symbol of the nation’s “indebtedness” to him.

His arrival at the canopy for the unveiling of the statue was heralded with traditional Manipuri Shankh Vadayam and Kerala’s traditional Panch Vadayam and Chanda. The unveiling of the statue of Netaji was accompanied by the tune of Kadam Kadam Badhayeja, the traditional INA song. The festival at ‘Kartvya Path’ commenced on September 8 and it will continue from September 9-11 from 7-9 pm.

A special 10-minute drone show on Netaji’s life would also be projected at India Gate at 8 pm on September 9, 10 and 11. Both the cultural festival and the drone show would be open to the public with free entry.