Centenarian ‘statue man’Ram Sutar passes away

 

 

 

RENOWNED sculptor Ram Sutar, whose creations included the gigantic Statue of Unity at Kevadia and the iconic Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Parliament complex, died late on Wednesday night at his Noida residence. He was 100 and suffering from age-related illnesses, said his son Anil Sutar. Among those who mourned his death was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who said his works were “powerful expression of India’s history and culture.”

 

Known as the “statue man”, Sutar was active till the very end and was involved in projects such as Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial at Indu Mill in Mumbai and soon-to-be-unveiled statue of Gopinath Bardoloi in Guwahati. He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in 2016. “Deeply saddened by the passing of Shri Ram Sutar Ji, a remarkable sculptor whose mastery gave India some of its most iconic landmarks, including the Statue of Unity in Kevadia,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

 

President Droupadi Murmu said “his monumental works, including the Statue of Unity, stand as great symbols of India’s enduring legacy. His art will continue to inspire generations of artists. I extend my deepest condolences to his family members and admirers,” Murmu said. The last rites of renowned sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar were performed at around 3 pm on Thursday at the Sector 94 crematorium here, with Union Minister Ramdas Athawale and several local leaders joining in to pay their final respects.