नवीनतम
Sculptor Ram Sutar, Statue of Unity designer, dies at 100
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Noted sculptor Ram Sutar, known for designing the world's tallest statue -- Statue of Unity -- in Gujarat, passed away late on Wednesday night at his Noida residence, his son said.
He was 100 and ailing with age-related illnesses.
"It is with profound grief that we inform you of the passing of my father Shri Ram Vanji Sutar on 17th December midnight at our residence," his son Anil Sutar said in a note shared with the press on Thursday.
The passing away of the legendary artist has drawn tributes from across the nation. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his grief on X: "The demise of the great sculptor, the artisan of the world's tallest statue 'Statue of Unity', 'Padma Bhushan' Shri Ram V. Sutar Ji, is extremely sorrowful and an irreplaceable loss to the art world. A humble tribute to him! I pray to Lord Shri Ram that the departed noble soul attains eternal peace and grants strength to the grieving family to bear this immense sorrow. Om Shanti!"
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also paid tribute to the centenarian artist.
In a post on X, Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office wrote, "Chief sculptor and Maharashtra Bhushan Shri Ram Sutar's mortal remains should be accorded full state honours for the funeral rites; for this, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had telephoned and made a request to Union Home Minister Hon. Amitbhai Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Hon. Yogi Adityanathji. The Uttar Pradesh government has immediately accepted that request. Shri Ram Sutar's mortal remains will be given full state honours for the funeral rites in Noida."
Born in a humble family in Gondur village under the Dhule district of present-day Maharashtra on February 19, 1925, Sutar is known to have been drawn to sculpting from his childhood.
A gold medallist from JJ School of Art and Architecture, Mumbai, Sutar, has to his credit a long list of achievements.
The iconic statues of Mahatma Gandhi seated in a meditating pose and of Chhatrapati Shivaji riding a horse on the Parliament premises rank among his finest creations.
The Statue of Unity honours Sardar Patel, country's first deputy prime minister and home minister.
Sutar was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016.
Recently, Sutar was conferred with the Maharashtra Bhushan Puraskar, the state's highest award.
