The entire nation sank in strong emotions soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that a ‘grand statue’ of Subhas Chandra Bose will be installed at the India Gate in New Delhi. The announcement came barely two days before the great Freedom fighter’s birth anniversary.
What connects Odisha with the momentous event is the fact that the grand statue of Netaji will be sculpted by a proud son of the soil, Adwaita Gadanayak, who is currently the director-general of the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA).
In an exclusive interview to OTV, Gadanayak said that the height of the statue of Netaji will be of 25 ft. The grand statute will be clearly visible from the Raisina Hill.
Earlier, while making the announcement, PM Narendra Modi tweeted, “At a time when the entire nation is marking the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, I am glad to share that his grand statue, made of granite, will be installed at India Gate. This would be a symbol of India’s indebtedness to him.”
“It is a great thing that the Prime Minister has decided to install the statue of Netaji at India Gate which is a mark of tribute to the legendary freedom fighter. As a sculptor, it is also a proud moment for me,” said Gadnayak. He said the Ministry of Culture has come up with the design and granite to be used for making the statue of Netaji.
The granite (jade black) to be used for the construction of the statue will be brought from Telangana.
“Adequate focus is being laid on the selection of the stone. Once complete, the statue will give a person the feel of the strong character which Netaji carried in person. The work for the construction of the statue has already started with the PM’s announcement today. We hope that all the expectations and vision of the PM as well all stakeholders are fulfilled with cooperation of all,” Gadnayak added.