Sadashiv Pethe, who made the Mahatma's first statue, installed in Delhi 1952, is working in tandem with the Centre and IIT-B's joint memorial in Gujarat
Renowned sculptor Sadashive Sathe, 86, who was working on Gandhiji's statue for a proposed National Dandi Salt Satyagraha Monument at Dandi in Gujarat, is now ready with his five-meter-high masterpiece made of silicon bronze.
The ace artist from Dombivli is credited with making Gandhi's first statue in 1952, which is installed in Delhi's central hall of Parliament. His masterpieces include Shivaji's statue near Gateway of India, Netaji Subhashchandra Bose and Lokmanya Tilak sculptures in Delhi, equestrian statue of Rani of Jhansi in Gwalior, Vinoba Bhave's in Wardha, and Prince Phillip's statue in Birmingham palace, among others.
Sathe, who dedicates his success to Gandhiji, as his being the first statue he made he drew inspiration from Bapu, explains the challenges of the project in a note. "To visualise a legendary person like Gandhiji in sculpture form was not so easy. I wanted to include all his great qualities — vision, leadership and sacrifices — besides including his physical appearance at the time of the satyagraha, his firm belief in truth, ideals and a strong will to get justice. I have created a spiritual image of him not the physical one," he writes.
His son Srirang says Sathe finds it tough to talk due to old age and illness.
"In the sculpture, Gandhiji's face looks forward with greater firmness, full of resolve to break the fetters of British rule. The broad stole that is draped on his shoulders, and which covers his slender frame as seen by his followers, suggests the enormous form that his movement of civil disobedience is destined to assume in the near future," writes Sathe, who did diploma in modelling and sculpture in1948 and went on to win accolades in India and abroad.
The Gandhi statue forms the central feature of the memorial, which will also have life-sized sculptures of 80 marchers, who, in 1930, had participated in the 240-mile march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi with Mahatma Gandhi to protest the imposition of tax on salt. These 80 pieces have already been readied by over 40 selected artists from across the globe in an event at IIT-B a year ago.
The monument will be established on a 15-acre plot in Dandi. The ministry of culture is spending Rs64 crore on the monument of which Rs22 crore is for research and development. IIT-B has been entrusted with the task of concept design, coordination and implementation. CPWD will take care of the construction.
The main memorial will have two stainless steel arms 70 metres in height with a salt crystal on top. They will be lit by solar panels with pyramid of light, the pathway will depict the Dandi March route through 24 spaces, representing 24 halts, and having visuals of the journey. It is expected to be ready by 2015-end.
The monument was announced by the prime minister in 2005 on the 75th anniversary of the march. However, it didn't take off until 2011 due to various hurdles.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}