CM Fadnavis Honours Sculptor of Shivaji Statue at Navi Mumbai Airport
Synopsis
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 6 June 2026 felicitated sculptor Nitin Gorde for creating a grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Navi Mumbai International Airport, continuing Maharashtra's tradition of honouring heritage artists at major infrastructure sites.
Key Takeaways
Sculptor Nitin Gorde was felicitated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 6 June 2026 .
Gorde created the grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for Navi Mumbai International Airport .
The ceremony was announced by the official Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra account on X.
Maharashtra has a long-standing practice of installing Shivaji Maharaj statues at major public infrastructure to reinforce regional cultural identity.
The Navi Mumbai International Airport is a greenfield project intended to supplement Mumbai's existing airport capacity.
The felicitation reflects the state's policy of publicly recognising artists behind heritage-linked commissions at government infrastructure projects.
The Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra announced on Saturday, 6 June 2026 that sculptor Nitin Gorde, who created the grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for Navi Mumbai International Airport, was formally honoured by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a felicitation ceremony.
Context
The official post from the Chief Minister's Office reads: 'नवी मुंबई आंतरराष्ट्रीय विमानतळावर छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज यांच्या भव्य शिल्पाची निर्मिती करणारे शिल्पकार नितीन गोर्डे यांचा आज मुख्यमंत्री देवेंद्र फडणवीस यांच्या हस्ते सत्कार करणे आले.' In English: 'Sculptor Nitin Gorde, who created the grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Navi Mumbai International Airport, was felicitated today by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.' The ceremony marks formal state recognition for an artist whose work will greet travellers at one of Maharashtra's most significant new infrastructure projects.
Policy Backdrop
The Navi Mumbai International Airport is a long-planned greenfield project designed to supplement the capacity of Mumbai's existing airport, with land acquisition processes dating to the early 2000s. Successive Maharashtra governments have made it a practice to commission and install prominent statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj — the 17th-century founder of the Maratha Empire — at major public infrastructure sites, including airports and transport hubs, as an expression of regional cultural identity. The inclusion of a large sculptural installation at Navi Mumbai Airport continues this established tradition, blending cultural symbolism with large-scale economic development.
Devendra Fadnavis, who has overseen multiple infrastructure and cultural initiatives across his terms as Chief Minister, has consistently positioned heritage recognition as a complement to the state's development agenda. The felicitation of Nitin Gorde reflects the state's policy of publicly honouring artists whose work contributes to heritage-linked public spaces.
Stakeholders and Impact
For Maharashtra's artistic and sculpting community, state-level recognition of this kind signals continued government patronage for heritage-linked commissions at major infrastructure projects. The statue itself will serve as a cultural landmark for millions of passengers expected to use Navi Mumbai International Airport once it becomes operational, reinforcing the Maratha identity that is central to the state's public narrative. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj remains one of the most widely revered historical figures across Maharashtra, and his image at a new international gateway carries significant symbolic weight for residents of the state.
What's Next
Attention will now turn to the operational opening timeline of Navi Mumbai International Airport, where the statue will become a permanent fixture in the public space. Further announcements on additional cultural installations or artist recognitions tied to state infrastructure projects are also anticipated as the airport progresses toward inauguration. The felicitation of Nitin Gorde may also encourage broader recognition of artists involved in state-commissioned heritage work across Maharashtra.
Point of View
Reinforcing the Maharashtra government's consistent strategy of anchoring modern infrastructure to Maratha heritage symbols. By publicly honouring the sculptor, the Fadnavis administration signals that the Navi Mumbai Airport is not merely an economic asset but a cultural statement. This pattern — commissioning and celebrating Shivaji Maharaj installations at high-visibility sites — has been a bipartisan tradition in Maharashtra, though the current dispensation has pursued it with particular visibility. The ceremony also serves as a soft signal to the artistic community that state patronage for heritage-linked work remains active.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Nitin Gorde felicitated by CM Devendra Fadnavis?
Nitin Gorde was felicitated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 6 June 2026 in recognition of his work in sculpting the grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for Navi Mumbai International Airport.
Where will the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue be installed?
The statue will be installed at Navi Mumbai International Airport, a greenfield airport project in Maharashtra designed to supplement Mumbai's existing airport.
What is the significance of placing a Shivaji Maharaj statue at Navi Mumbai Airport?
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the 17th-century founder of the Maratha Empire and a central symbol of Maharashtra's regional identity. Placing his statue at a major new international airport continues a long-standing state tradition of linking public infrastructure to Maratha heritage.
When is Navi Mumbai International Airport expected to open?
The exact operational opening date of Navi Mumbai International Airport has not been confirmed in this announcement; the project has been in development since the early 2000s and its inauguration timeline remains a key item to watch.
