Israel to Honour Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj With 'Big' Statue in Major City

Israel is planning to install a grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in one of its major cities, in what officials describe as a long-term cultural project aimed at deepening ties between the two countries. Announcing the proposal on the occasion of Shiv Rajyabhishek Din, Israel's Consul General in Mumbai, Yaniv Revach, said the memorial would honour the Maratha warrior king's enduring influence while serving as a symbol of the growing people-to-people connection between India and Israel."We understand exactly what the influence is and how important Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is to India...The idea is to build a big statue of the Maharaj and send it to Israel. It would be more than just a regular project, but it's going to be a project for

the long run. And the Indian people will also be connected to the Israeli people through this project. We plan to bring it to one of the big cities in Israel," he said while talking to news agency ANI.

'We need greater awareness about Shivaji'

Earlier, in a letter to Fadnavis, the Israeli diplomat said, "We believe that a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Israel would serve as a powerful symbol of the close ties between Israel and India. Such a monument would be especially meaningful given the historical links between Maharashtra and the Indian Jewish community, many of whose descendants today contribute significantly to Israeli society.""Wherever I travel in India, I see a great respect in the eyes of people towards Israel and our national heroes. I believe that we need to make efforts to create greater awareness about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Israel," he added. In this spirit of friendship, the Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai has decided to install a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Israel, Revach stated.