Mumbai:
Israel has announced plans to install a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the country amid growing cultural ties between New Delhi and Tel Aviv. The announcement was made by Israel’s Consul General in Mumbai, Yaniv Revach, last week on the occasion of Shiv Rajyabhishek Din.
Revach said that the project will connect Indians with Israelis.
“We understand exactly what the influence is and how important Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is to India…The idea is to build a big statue of the Maharaj and send it to Israel. It would be more than just a regular project, but it’s going to be a project for the long run. And the Indian people will also be connected to the Israeli people through this project. We plan to bring it to one of the big cities in Israel,” he said while talking to news agency ANI.
#WATCH | Mumbai: Regarding his meeting with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Consul General of Israel to Mumbai, Yaniv Revach, says, “…we understand exactly what the influence is and how important Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is to India… the idea was to build the big statue… pic.twitter.com/yLTw8K4LIO
— ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2026
Revach said that to make the memorial worthy of Shivaji’s legacy, Israel has sought cooperation from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding historical references, artistic consultation, and design considerations, and “he immediately agreed to provide it.”
Earlier, in a letter to Fadnavis, the Israeli diplomat said, “We believe that a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Israel would serve as a powerful symbol of the close ties between Israel and India. Such a monument would be especially meaningful given the historical links between Maharashtra and the Indian Jewish community, many of whose descendants today contribute significantly to Israeli society.”
He said the proposed statue is also intended to introduce more Israelis to the life and achievements of Shivaji Maharaj. “Wherever I travel in India, I see a great respect in the eyes of people towards Israel and our national heroes. I believe that we need to make efforts to create greater awareness about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Israel. In this spirit of friendship, the Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai has decided to install a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Israel,” Revach added.
Maharashtra CM Extends Support
Fadnavis has vowed to extend his full support for the initiative. In a post on X, he said, “This is huge news! On the auspicious occasion of Shiv Rajyabhishek Din, heartfelt thanks to Israel CG Yaniv Revach for this historic announcement of installing a grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Israel. The Maharashtra government will extend complete support for this historic initiative. Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji!”
