On Hovercraft, PM Modi Performs Jal Pujan For Rs 3,600 Crore Shivaji Memorial
Updated: December 24, 2016 16:23 IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the grand memorial of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj today.
PM Narendra Modi performed Jal pujan for Shiv Smarak in the back bay area along marine drive, in the Arabian sea.
The event comes just a few months ahead of the civic polls and amid tussle among parties to claim the legacy of the 17th century warrior king.
The Shivaji memorial is slated to cost Rs 3,600 crore. The main feature of the memorial will be a 192-metre-tall statue of the iconic Maratha king.
PM Modi was accompanied by Governor Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray for the event.
PM Modi and the select dignitaries left in a hovercraft from Girgaum Chowpatty beach in south Mumbai to reach near the memorial site, around 1.5km off the coast.
The PM performed the 'jal pujan' at the designated spot, symbolically marking the start of construction of the magnificent memorial in the Arabian Sea.
