CM Fadnavis Unveils Shivaji Maharaj Statue at Navi Mumbai Airport
Synopsis
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis unveiled a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Navi Mumbai International Airport on 6 June 2026, continuing Maharashtra's long-standing practice of honouring the Maratha emperor at major public infrastructure sites.
Key Takeaways
CM Devendra Fadnavis unveiled the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Navi Mumbai International Airport on 6 June 2026 at 11:50 am .
The ceremony was attended by Minister Ganesh Naik , Minister Aditi Tatkare , MLA Prashant Thakur , and MLA Mahesh Baldi .
The announcement was made in three languages — English, Marathi and Hindi — by the official Chief Minister's Office account.
Navi Mumbai International Airport is a greenfield project decades in the making, intended to relieve congestion at Mumbai 's existing airport.
Maharashtra governments have consistently paired major infrastructure projects with Shivaji Maharaj statue installations as part of cultural policy.
The Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra announced on Saturday, 6 June 2026 that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis unveiled a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the Navi Mumbai International Airport at 11:50 am, in the presence of senior ministers and elected representatives.
Context
The official post by the Chief Minister's Office, shared in English, Marathi and Hindi, described the ceremony as an unveiling of the statue of the 'Greatest King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj' at the greenfield airport site in Navi Mumbai. The Sanskrit verse opening the post — 'Yashovaan keertimaan saamarthyavaan varadah, Punyavaan neetivaan janataajaanan raja' ('Glorious, celebrated, powerful, and a bestower of boons; virtuous, principled, a king who knows his people') — invoked the 17th-century Maratha emperor's legacy ahead of the statue's unveiling.
Alongside CM Fadnavis, the event was attended by Minister Ganesh Naik, Minister Aditi Tatkare, MLA Prashant Thakur, MLA Mahesh Baldi, and other dignitaries.
Policy Backdrop
Navi Mumbai International Airport is a long-gestating greenfield project designed to ease congestion at Mumbai's existing airport and expand the region's aviation capacity. Land acquisition and formal approvals for the project were pursued through successive state governments from the 2000s onward, making the current construction and inauguration milestones a culmination of decades of planning.
Maharashtra administrations have a consistent practice of installing statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj — the 17th-century founder of the Maratha Empire and the state's most revered historical figure — at major public infrastructure nodes including airports, railway stations and highways. This cultural policy has been pursued by successive governments as a way of reinforcing Maharashtrian regional identity alongside large-scale development projects.
Stakeholders and Impact
The statue installation at the new airport carries significance for Maharashtrian citizens for whom Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj represents sovereignty, governance ideals and regional pride. For the millions of passengers expected to eventually use the Navi Mumbai facility, the statue will serve as a prominent cultural landmark at one of the state's most consequential new infrastructure assets.
Minister Ganesh Naik, who represents the Navi Mumbai region in the state cabinet, and the other officials present underscored the local political significance of the milestone, which brings together infrastructure development and cultural heritage in a single public gesture.
What's Next
The statue unveiling marks a visible cultural milestone in the broader timeline of the Navi Mumbai International Airport project. Attention will now turn to the phased opening of the airport's terminals and operational readiness for commercial flights, alongside any further heritage installations planned for the site by the state government.
Point of View
The Fadnavis administration reinforces Maharashtrian identity politics at a moment of high public visibility. The trilingual announcement signals a deliberate outreach across the state's linguistic communities. The move fits a broader pattern in which infrastructure openings double as assertions of regional pride, keeping the ruling coalition's cultural credentials prominent ahead of any future electoral cycle.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue unveiled on 6 June 2026?
The statue was unveiled at Navi Mumbai International Airport by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 6 June 2026 .
Who unveiled the Shivaji Maharaj statue at Navi Mumbai Airport?
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis performed the unveiling, accompanied by Minister Ganesh Naik , Minister Aditi Tatkare , MLA Prashant Thakur , and MLA Mahesh Baldi .
What is the Navi Mumbai International Airport?
Navi Mumbai International Airport is a greenfield airport project developed to relieve congestion at Mumbai 's existing airport and expand aviation capacity in the region, with approvals and land acquisition dating to the 2000s .
Why is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj important to Maharashtra?
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the 17th-century founder of the Maratha Empire and is widely revered in Maharashtra as a symbol of regional sovereignty, just governance and martial tradition.
Has Maharashtra installed Shivaji Maharaj statues at other infrastructure sites before?
Yes. Maharashtra governments have consistently installed statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at airports, railway stations and highways since the 1990s as part of a broader cultural policy linking infrastructure development with regional identity.
