Equestrian Statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to be Installed at Poonch, Jammu & Kashmir Near India–Pakistan Border

Inauguration scheduled in the first week of March

Pune: In a tribute to the bravery, leadership and timeless legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Amhi Punekar organization has announced the installation of an equestrian statue of the Maratha warrior king at the premises of the 9 Maratha Regiment in Poonch, Jammu & Kashmir, near the India–Pakistan border. The statue will serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for Indian soldiers stationed in the region.

The inauguration ceremony is scheduled to take place in the first week of March, informed organization president Hemant Jadhav during a press conference. Trustees Akhil Zhanjale, Vipul Kamble, Adv. Milind Pawar, Abhayraj Shirole, Shyam Daudkar, and senior sculptor Vivek Khatavkar were present on the occasion.

Sacred Soil from Historic Forts
To symbolically connect the memorial with Maharashtra’s heritage, soil and water from historically significant forts associated with Shivaji Maharaj will be carried for the foundation rituals. The forts include Salher, Shivneri, Lohagad, Raigad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg, Khanderi, Rajgad, Pratapgad, and Gingee (Tamil Nadu) — several of which are part of UNESCO-recognised Maratha military heritage sites.

Nationwide “Shiv Swarajya Yatra”
Trustee Sandeep Mate informed that the journey of the statue will begin in Mumbai on February 26 with a ceremonial worship by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar.
At the Savarkar Memorial, Dadar, the procession will be welcomed with the singing of the aarti of Shivaji Maharaj composed by Veer Savarkar on his death anniversary.

The yatra will then travel across multiple cities including Vadodara, Ahmedabad Raj Bhavan, Udaipur, Jaipur Raj Bhavan, New Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, Pathankot, and Jammu Raj Bhavan, before reaching Poonch for the final inauguration.

The initiative has received special support from Shri Shivaji Raigad Smarak Mandal – Shri Shivshambhu Vichar Manch.

About the Sculpture
The statue has been sculpted by Vipul Khatavkar and Viraj Khatavkar, sons of renowned Pune sculptor Vivek Khatavkar, representing the third generation of the family’s sculpting tradition.

Previous Installations
The organization had earlier installed an equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Kupwara, Jammu & Kashmir in November 2023, inaugurated in the presence of then Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, and Governor Manoj Sinha.
A similar memorial was also inaugurated in Tokyo, Japan, by Govind Giri Maharaj.

With this initiative, the organization aims to strengthen patriotic spirit and provide moral inspiration to soldiers guarding the nation’s borders, reaffirming Shivaji Maharaj’s enduring legacy of courage, duty and selfless service.