India, April 22 -- Nearly eight months after a 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in the coastal town of Malvan collapsed, causing huge embarrassment to the Mahayuti government, a new and taller statue of the Maratha warrior king has been installed at the spot and is likely to be inaugurated on May 1, which is Maharashtra Day.

The local public works department and the contractor, renowned sculptor Ram Sutar's firm, are giving the finishing touches to the 83-foot bronze statue, which cost the state government Rs.21.9 crore to make. The new statue, whose frame is made from duplex stainless steel, will stand on a three-metre-high concrete pedestal.

"We have started removing the scaffolding and were told that the g...