A statue of the great Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji was on Tuesday unveiled near the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s Kupwara.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha along with Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde and Maharashtra’s Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar unveiled the statue.

In his address, the Lt Governor congratulated the ‘Amhi Punekar’ and 41 Rashtriya Rifles of the Indian Army for the historic initiative of installing the statue.

He said the statue of Great Shivaji will be a source of inspiration for people and the bravehearts of the Army.

Paying homage to the great warrior and founder of Swarajya, the Lt Governor said, Shivaji was a born leader, who scripted a new history of India through his mesmerizing victory against the enemy.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was also the fountainhead of high standards of morality, right conduct and respect of all religions and sects. Youth must follow his ideas and ideals and selflessly serve the poor and weaker sections of society and contribute to nation-building, he added.

By unleashing his military genius and moral force, Shivaji mobilized millions of Indians and achieved sovereignty for the Maratha empire. His universal and eternal values continue to be relevant today and guiding us on the path of social equality and peaceful co-existence, the Lt Governor said.

He further called for celebrating the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj festival in Kupwara on 7th of November every year.

Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister of Maharashtra said, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is an inspiration for every Indian.

Maharashtra has a great tradition of sacrifice and bravery. It is indeed commendable that this statue is being erected at Kupwara in the same year as the 350th anniversary of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji, he said.

Sudhir Mungantiwar, Cultural Affairs Minister, Maharashtra, speaking on the occasion, paid homage to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He said the unveiling of Shivaji’s statue is the proudest moment of his life.

Major General Girish Kalia, GOC, Vajr Division presented the National Flags handmade by women of Kupwara to the dignitaries.

Earlier, the Lt Governor paid tributes to the bravehearts of the Indian Army and laid a wreath at Vajr War Memorial, HQ 28 Infantry Division in Kupwara.