7 hours ago
CM to unveil statueof Suheldev today
Lucknow: Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath
will unveil the equestrian statue of Maharaja Suheldev near Chittaura lake in Bahraich on Tuesday.
The event will be celebrated as 'Vijayotsav' of Suheldev who is said to have defeated Syed Salar Masud, the nephew and general of Turkish invader Mahmud Ghaznavi in what is now famous as the Battle of Bahraich in 1034.
The CM will also address a public meeting on the occasion.
The 40-feet high bronze statue has been made by famous sculptor and Padma Shri awardee Ram Sutar who also designed the Statue of Unity of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Weighing around 17 tonnes, the statue has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 2.75 crore. Suheldev is often referred to as the presiding deity of the Rajbhar community, who are present in a large number in several eastern UP districts with the BJP projecting him as a Hindutva demigod.
Director of State Lalit Kala Academy Shraddha Shukla said that the statue of Maharaja Suheldev was proposed by the tourism department. It has been constructed under the supervision of State Lalit Kala Academy of UP culture department.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the memorial on Feb 16, 2021, through video conferencing.
The project included tourism development near the historic Chittaura Lake as well as the installation of a statue of Maharaja Suheldev.
