The 28-feet-tall towering statue of Netaji, which will be unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of the tallest, realistic, monolithic, handmade sculptures in India. A 100-feet-long truck with 140 wheels was specially designed for this monolithic granite stone to travel the 1665 kms from Khammam in Telangana to New Delhi.
Officials of the Ministry of Culture said that the grand statue of Netaji has been carved from a monolithic block of granite weighing 280 MT. After 26,000 man hours of intense artistic endeavour, the granite monolith was chiselled to produce a statue weighing 65 MT. The statue is completely hand sculpted using traditional techniques and modern tools. The team of sculptors for executing the statue was led by Arun Yogiraj.
The statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, which will be unveiled by the Prime Minister, is being installed in the same place where a hologram statue of Netaji was unveiled earlier this year on Parakram Diwas (January 23) by him to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji.
The Prime Minister's arrival at the canopy for the unveiling of the statue of Netaji will be heralded with traditional Manipuri Shankh Vadayam and Kerala's traditional Panch Vadayam and Chanda. The unveiling of the statue of Netaji would be accompanied to the tune of Kadam Kadam Badhaye jaa, the traditional INA song.
To demonstrate the spirit of Ek Bharat - Shrestra Bharat and Unity in Diversity, a cultural festival by 500 dancers drawn from all parts of the country, would be showcased on the Kartavya Path. The glimpse of the same would be shown to the Prime Minister on the step Amphitheatre near India Gate by around 30 artists who will perform tribal folk art forms such as Sambalpuri, Panthi, Kalbelia, Kargam and dummy horse with live music by Nashik Dhol Pathik Tasha and Drums. Mangalgaan penned by Padma Bhushan Pt. Shrikrishna Ratanjankarji on the auspicious occasion of 1st Independence Day of India in 1947 is being presented by Pt. SuhasVashi along with a team of singers and musicians.
A special 10 minute Drone Show on Netaji's life would be projected at India Gate at 8.00 p.m. on September 9, 10 & 11.