BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has a reason to cheer. The statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to be installed at the India Gate under the grand canopy, will be created by eminent Odia sculptor Adwaita Gadanayak, the Director-General of the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) under the Ministry of Culture.
Speaking to The New Indian Express after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on Friday, Gadanayak said that Netaji's statue will be 28-feet-high and would be carved in jet black granite. The eminent sculptor is known for creating larger than life sculptures both in India and abroad and has worked with black granite all through his career.
The NGMA had earlier sent a six-ft-high model of Netaji's sculpture to the Prime Minister who approved it. "Since Netaji was a very strong character, we thought of granite as a medium to sculpt his statue because it is an extremely hard stone. Besides, we associate the energy of black colour with deities like Goddess Mahakali and Lord Krishna. Hence, jet black granite was a perfect choice for Netaji's statue and we are happy that the Prime Minister liked it," said the sculptor who created the National Police Memorial in New Delhi in 2018.
The most important aspect of the project, he said, is finding the right stone. "We will bring the granite stone block from Khammam district in Telangana. It is the same spot from where the stone for the National Police Memorial was brought," he said.
Adwaita Gadanayak to carve Netaji statue
The statue will be prepared using both traditional and modern (CNC sculpting) tools. He will be collaborating with granite artisans of Karnataka. A total of 25 to 30 sculptors would be selected by the Ministry of Culture for the work that will begin soon at New Delhi.
The statue will be completed within the next eight months and installed at India Gate on August 15 this year marking the 75th Independence Day, he said.
Born and brought up in Neulapoi village of Dhenkanal district, Gadanayak pursued art education from BK College of Arts and Crafts and completed his masters degree from College of Art in New Delhi. One of his masterpieces the 'Dandi March' is installed at Rajghat, New Delhi.