Rani Padmavati's statue to be installed to evoke feeling of "nationalism"

Udaipur Municipal Corporation Mayor claimed that the work order was issued much before the controversy surrounding Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film "Padmavati" broke out

Image REPRESENTATIONAL/ Padmavati/ Facebook

Udaipur: As per the municipal body official, Rani Padmavati's metal statue would be installed in a proposed park in Rajasthan. She was among the nine stalwarts of Mewar's history. Udaipur Municipal Corporation Mayor Chandra Singh Kothari said that along with the nine-feet statues of Padmavati/Padmini, the park will also have statue of Bappa Rawal, founder of the Mewar dynasty in the 8th century, Mewar rulers Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga, Rana Hammir and Raj Singh, and freedom fighters Govind Guru, Kesari Singh Barahath and Vijay Singh Pathik. "The park is proposed to be ready in the next three months and it will have nine statues. The work order has been issued and the project is under process," he said. Kothari, however, claimed that the work order was issued much before the controversy surrounding Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film "Padmavati" broke out. The statues, to be installed in the next three days, were aimed at evoking feelings of nationalism and pride for the historic heroes of Mewar, the mayor said. The movie Padmavati has been mired in a slew of controversies over its storyline and concept. The movie, based on the legend of Rani Padmini, a Hindu Rajput queen, mentioned in Padmavat, an Avadhi poem written by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi in 1540, had been facing protests from various groups, including Shri Rajput Karni Sena, for allegedly tampering with historical facts.

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