Ram Sutar death: Creator of the tallest statue in the world, the Statue of Unity, Ram Sutar, has passed away at the age of 100. He breathed his last in the late hours of Wednesday in his Noida residence, confirmed a PTI report. His son, Anil Sutar shared with the press, “It is with profound grief that we inform you of the passing of my father, Shri Ram Vanji Sutar, on 17th December midnight at our residence.”
Sutar is also credited with the iconic statue of Mahatma Gandhi seated in a meditating pose and of Chhatrapati Shivaji riding a horse on the Parliament premises.Best known as the man behind the 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat, Ram Vanji Sutar has had a career spanning six decades and also received the Padma Shri in 1999. Here’s a look at the legendary sculptor’s illustrious profile.
Who was Ram Sutar?
Born in February 1925 in the Gonur Village of the Dhule district, Ram Sutar trained under Shriram Krishna Joshi. Earning a diploma in 1953, he was a Mayo gold medallist at the JJ School of Art and Architecture, Mumbai. Drawn to the art form from a young age, he joined the Archaeological Survey of India at Ajanta-Ellora.
He also went on to join Delhi’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry, before quitting in 1959 to pursue sculpting full-time. Ram Sutar is credited with having made more than 8000 works and over 200 sculptures of Gandhi worldwide. Honoured as India’s greatest sculptor, he received the Padma Bhushan in 2016 and the Maharashtra Bhushan award this year.
Ram Sutar’s most iconic works
- Statue of Unity, Gujarat
The 182 metre statue made with an outer cladding of bronze panels is the tallest in the world. Designed by Ram Sutar, this is one of his most iconic works. Using nearly 1,700 tonnes, the structure is said to be earthquake-proof. Located in the Narmada valley, near Kevadia in the state of Gujarat, it immortalises the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of independent India. It was inaugurated in October 2018, seven years ago.
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial, Mumbai
The equestrian Shivaji statue, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial, stands 120 metres tall. Planned off the Mumbai coast, the equestrian design is without a pedestal in the concept image, through the final marine memorial has been delayed and revised. The mega-monument shows the Maratha warrior in his iconic horse-back pose, as it is located with the backdrop of the Arabian Sea.
- Statues of Mahatma Gandhi
Installed in the Indian parliament, Sutar’s 17 metre Mahatma Gandhi in Meditation statue is one of the 200 statues he has ideated across the world. He has also sculpted the famous Dandi March statue in Delhi, which has been used as a model for hundreds of statues across 300-350 cities worldwide. His Gandhi sculptures are among the most reproduced memorials of all time.
- Chambal monument, MP
One of his earliest creations, Sutar, headlined the 45-foot statue of Goddess Chambal. Standing tall at the Gandhi Sagar Dam, it has become a marker of the river and region. Built in the 1960s with a single stone block, it marks the mythical tale of the Goddess nurturing the lands of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, symbolising brotherhood.
- Krishna-Arjun Rath
Located at Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra, the Krishna-Arjun Rath depicts the central moment from the Mahabharat. Weighing 45 tonnes, it is 35 feet high and was inaugurated in 2008. Sutar’s dynamic artwork creates a sense of powerful mythology and cultural iconography.
