Lucknow,

18 Dec (HS): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday expressed

grief on demise of Ram Sutar, celebrated as a master sculptor who brought

India's heroes and deities to life in massive, inspiring forms, making him a significant

figure in Indian art and public monuments.

In

a post on X, he mentioned, “The passing of the great sculptor, the architect of

the world's tallest statue, the 'Statue of Unity', and 'Padma Bhushan' Shri Ram

V. Sutar is deeply saddening and an irreparable loss to the art world. Humble

tributes to him! We pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant salvation to the departed

soul and strength to the bereaved family to bear this immense grief. Om Shanti!”

World-renowned

sculptor Padmashree Ram Sutar Vanji passed away late Wednesday night. His death

has sent shockwaves through the art and cultural world. He breathed his last at

his residence in Sector 19 Noida. He was recently honored with the Maharashtra

Bhushan Award by the Maharashtra government. The entire Maharashtra government,

including the Chief Minister, visited his Noida home to honor him. He received

numerous awards from both India and abroad. He created history by building the

world-famous 182-meter-high Statue of Unity. Leaders, sculptors, artists, and

social figures from across the country and abroad are expressing their

condolences on the news of his passing. His last rites will be performed today

at his final resting place in Sector 94, Noida. A stream of people has begun

arriving at his home since this morning. The district administration and police

have also made security arrangements in anticipation of the expected crowds at

his funeral. People are also expressing their condolences on social media. Ram Sutar's

son, Anil Sutar, said that he had been unwell for several days. His

100-year-old father, a Padma Bhushan awardee, died at his home in Noida. His

death has sent shockwaves through the art world.

Ram

Sutar was born on February 19, 1925, into a poor family in Gondur village,

Dhule district, Maharashtra. His father, Vanji Hansraj, was a carpenter by

caste and occupation. In 1952, he married Pramila, with whom he had his only

son, Anil Ram Sutar, in 1957. Anil, an architect by profession, now oversees his

father's studio and workshop in Noida.

Inspired

by his guru Ramakrishna Joshi, he enrolled at the J.J. School of Art in Mumbai

and in 1953, he secured the highest marks in modelling from the same school and

received the Mayo Gold Medal. While working as a modeller in the Archaeology

Department of Aurangabad, from 1954 to 1958, he worked on the restoration of

sculptures in the ancient caves of Ajanta and Ellora. In 1958-59, he was also a

technical assistant in the Audio-Visual Department of the Ministry of

Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. In 1959, he voluntarily left

the government job and became a professional sculptor. After that, he started

living in Noida with his family.

Ram

Sutar established his identity not just as a sculptor, but as an artist who

brought the nation's pride to life. Whether it was the 182-meter-tall Statue of

Unity of Sardar Patel or the meditative statues of Mahatma Gandhi, every

creation from his hands has become immortal in the nation's memory. Born in

1925 into a humble family in Maharashtra, Sutar carved dreams with a chisel and

hammer and brought glory to India globally. While he created numerous statues,

some notable contributions include the 45-foot-tall statue of Chambal Devi at

the Gangasagar Dam in Madhya Pradesh, the 21-foot-tall statue of Maharaja

Ranjit Singh at Amritsar, the 18-foot-tall statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

at the Parliament House in New Delhi, the 17-foot-tall statue of Mohandas

Karamchand Gandhi at Gandhinagar, Gujarat, the 9-foot-tall statue of Bhimrao

Ambedkar at Jammu, the bust of India's President Shankar Dayal Sharma, and the

statue installed in the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The world's tallest statue of

India's first Home Minister, the late Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: 182

meters i.e. 597 feet (Statue of Unity), the Krishna-Arjuna chariot located in

Brahmasarovar of Kurukshetra, etc. are included.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi