Mumbai plans to build monument taller than Statue of Liberty

Mumbai: The Indian state of Maharashtra plans to build a monument taller than New York's Statue of Liberty.

Plans for the 94-metre statue of the 17th century Hindu ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, famed for fighting off India's Muslim Mogul rulers, were cleared by the Maharashtra government this week.

The bronze statue would memorialise Shivaji astride a horse and brandishing a sword. It would be located on an island about 1.5 kilometres off downtown Mumbai's Marine Drive and would stand 1.2 metres taller than the Statue of Liberty.

The statue, along with an adjacent museum and garden, is projected to cost about Rs1 billion (Dh86.2 million).

"The Shivaji statue will be a new Mumbai landmark," said Thanksy Thekkekara, a top Maharashtra official.

Authorities are planning to start construction in four months, after the annual monsoon rains end, she said.

Critics argue the statue will be a showpiece for the state government, run by the Congress party, which also governs nationally.

Aroon Tikekar, a writer and commentator who lives in Mumbai, said on Friday, "This is a statue that every political party wants to build. I personally have had enough of statues. We build statues and then can't take care of them."