BHUBANESWAR : The iconic replica of the famous sculpture of Sun Temple at Konark showcasing a warrior with the horse - adopted by the State government as part of its emblem - is set to be shifted from Master Canteen Square to Raj Bhawan Square.
An identity of Bhubaneswar for decades, the stone work will have to make way for the ongoing Smart Janpath project. The Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) had proposed relocation of the sculpture to another place for development of Master Canteen and was approved at a meeting chaired by the Director of Culture Ranjan Das on June 8.
The Rs 80-crore Smart Janpath project is part of the Bhubaneswar Smart City Mission. Sources in the Culture department said, the permission was accorded as the statue is not an ancient structure. As per the decision, the replica along with other statues placed within the Master Canteen roundabout will be shifted to another roundabout in front of Raj Bhawan and placed adjacent to the statue of Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das.
The Culture Director said the statue will lose its visibility as well as significance since widening of roads and construction of a multi-modal hub has been planned in the area under Smart City project. “That is why it was decided to shift it to the vicinity of Governor House where it would get proper visibility. Another reason to shift it near the statue of Madhu Babu was his connection with the black horse and State emblem,” he said.
Iconic warrior-horse replica to make way for Smart Janpath project
The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) had erected the sandstone sculpture at Master Canteen around 1988. It has now been given the responsibility of shifting all the sculptures to the identified location. All the expenses towards shifting of the sculptures will be borne by the BDA. Das informed that the statue could be brittle over the years which is why the BDA has been asked to engage its experts for its careful shifting.
Despite being an important landmark of the Capital City, the sculpture has been lying neglected for several years. The platform on which the sculpture stands is covered with wild and unwanted vegetation and tiles on it have been damaged due to poor maintenance. The original warrior and horse sculpture is found at one of the gates of Konark temple. Adopted as official emblem, it is placed at the centre of the Government logo.