Netaji stood like a rock, so the statue in granite: Sculptor Adwaita Gadanayak (IANS Interview)

New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANS) Director General of the National Gallery of Modern Art, Adwaita Gadanayak, will be building a grand 28-feet high granite statue of the iconic freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate, which was announced on his 125th birth anniversary.

A hologram statue has been installed in its place for now and will remain there until the construction of the original granite statue is complete.

Sharing information and significance of the statue, Adwaita who was awarded the National Lalit Kala Akademi Award in 1993, told IANS: "Netaji's statue will be the first in the country to be made of granite stone. He was protecting the nation and stood in front of the enemies like a rock. We are making his granite statue so that we remember his sacrifices all the time. Keeping all the things in mind such as his height, weight, clothes, gait, this idol will be made."

"Choosing a stone for the statue is a big deal, it should be a strong enough black stone. About 30 artists will work in making this statue, but to create it, a traditional method will also be adopted. The idol will also be carved using chisel and hammer and it will be shaped through a digital medium. So, we are working with both traditional and contemporary artists.

"Netaji was a brave soldier, warrior, great general and a skilled politician. To free the country from British raj, he had formed the Azad Hind Fauj. Therefore, to make a statue of such a big personality, stones are being collected from places across South India.

"The granite will come from the South because it is only found there. In fact, we are thinking of getting it from Chamarajanagar in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh. We are also looking for it near Bengaluru. Our team needs a jade black coloured stone for the idol."

According to Adwaita, a granite stone 30 feet high, would be large and heavy so a special cart to transport the granite and other construction materials will be arranged for.

He said: "We are not making it just like any other statue. Although people have got an idea through the hologram but while making it, every little details will have to be considered, which is a lot of work."

Subhas Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897 in Odisha's Cuttack. He came from a well to do family and was the ninth sibling among his seven brothers and six sisters. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the construction of his statue, his family members also welcomed it.