Shivaji Memorial off the coast of Mumbai

Shivaji Memorial - Image via 20twentytwo.blogspot.in

Firstly, the idea is based on the Statue of Liberty at New York. How unoriginal one could be! Just to mention, the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to America. 

We would rather build a colossal memorial for Shivaji in the sea off Mumbai, but will not repair the forts built by the king which are in state of ruins or use that money for some sensible cause. It’s a shame our politicians even bring up such plans.   

I remember a story told by Babasaheb Purandare, the famous Shivaji historian. Upon visiting London, he noticed that there were hardly any statues of Winston Churchill to be seen. He asked this once to an Englishman why this is so, that such a famous well deserving man should lack a memorial or big statues within his own country. The Englishman replied, “We need no statues or memorials to commemorate Churchill. He lives in our blood”. 
Let’s first build a memorial for Shivaji in our hearts and let it manifest in a number of meaningful causes before building a 300 ft statue in the sea.

You can read the detail proposal here.