Mumbai plans to erect a statue of a Hindu warrior king off the city's shore in the Arabian Sea that will be taller than the Statue of Liberty, government officials said on Tuesday. India's financial capital has consciously modelled its development on that of Shanghai, but its leaders admit to sometimes coveting aspects of Western metropolises too. “It is true that the Statue of Liberty was perhaps an inspiration a little bit,” said Thanksy Thekkekara, the principal secretary of the government of Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the capital. While almost equally massive, the two statues may prove different in their symbolism. Mumbai's statue will depict Shivaji Bhosle, also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji, revered by many in western India as a warrior who fought the Mughal empire and annexed land from its rulers in the 17th century. The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor is also known as the Mother of Exiles after the Emma Lazarus poem inscribed in its base, and became a symbol of hope to the millions of immigrants who sailed by her to begin new lives in the United States. Shivaji's name, however, is now most closely linked with nativist political parties in Mumbai, who resist immigration into Mumbai by Indians from states other than Maharashtra. The Gateway of India, like many of Mumbai's most distinctive landmarks, was built by India's British rulers back when the city was still officially called Bombay. Victoria Terminus, Mumbai's main station, is now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. The Prince of Wales Museum has become the Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum. And soon, if all goes to plan, Shivaji himself will dominate the horizon, astride a horse in the middle of the bay defined by the curve of Marine Drive, where thousands of Mumbaikars watch the sun go down each day over the Arabian Sea. Mumbai's planned statue is about 309 feet tall, including its pedestal, Thekkekara said. The Statue of Liberty measures 305 feet from the ground to the tip of her torch.
