A life-size sculpture of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who ruled over Punjab for close to 40 years in the early 19th century, was unveiled on Thursday at the historic Lahore Fort in Pakistan to mark his 180th death anniversary.
It took eight months to complete the eight-feet tall statue of the Sikh ruler sitting on his favourite horse named Kahar Bahar. The horse was a gift from Dost Muhammad Khan, the founder of the Barazkai dynasty.
The sculpture was installed at the Sikh Gallery of the Mai Jindan Haveli in the Lahore Fort during a special ceremony attended by senior Pakistani officials.
A bronze statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh will be erected at #Lahore fort on his 180th death anniversary, on 27th June. #Pakistan #Punjab pic.twitter.com/GJYaqO12t5
— Shiraz Hassan (@ShirazHassan) June 26, 2019
The haveli, named after Ranjit Singh's youngest queen, houses a permanent exhibition of Sikh artefacts in the Sikh Gallery.
The statue was built and installed by the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) in collaboration with the UK-based Sikh Heritage Foundation, which funded the project.
"The statue weighs around 250-330 kilograms. The sculpture is made up of 85 per cent bronze, 5 per cent tin, 5 per cent lead and 5 per cent zinc," Sikh Heritage Foundation president Bobby Singh Bansal said.
A statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who ruled over Punjab for close to 40 years in 19th century, unveiled in Lahore, on the occasion of his 180th death anniversary. It’s located in an open space outside the Mai Jindian Haveli in Lahore Fort, close to the samadhi of Ranjit Singh pic.twitter.com/5dv2FAdJd2
— Danyal Gilani (@DanyalGilani) June 28, 2019
WCLA Conservation and Planning Director Najam-Us-Saqib said the statue will be a "good tourist attraction" and iron grills would be erected around the sculpture to protect it.
The statue was made by artists from Lahore's National College of Art and Naqsh School of Art under the supervision of Faqir Khana Museum Director Faqir Saifuddin. "This sculpture is a tribute and homage to the son of the soil," he said, adding that Lahore has had rich cultural and religious diversity for centuries and Ranjit Singh was one important part of it.
Around 465 Indian Sikh pilgrims are expected to visit Lahore at Gurudwara Dera Sahib that houses the funerary urns of Ranjit Singh to commemorate the 180th death anniversary of the Sikh ruler on 29 June.
On the occasion of 180th death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Walled City Lahore Authority has facilitated the installation of 8ft Statue of Ranjit Singh in Lahore Fort. Punjab Tourism Minister was Chief Guest at the Ceremony attended by many Sikh visitors from Amritsar. pic.twitter.com/9KCI6NyTIM
— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) June 28, 2019
Fakir Khana Museum has also launched 180 limited edition bust sculptures of the Maharaja for art connoisseurs and those interested in the history of Punjab.