Chennai sculptor carves 10-feet-high bronze statue of Tamil king Veeran

CHENNAI - In an attempt to pay homage to a freedom fighter from Tamil Nadu, a sculptor has created a giant bronze statue weighing 2,400 kilograms in Chennai.

The sculptor, Shihan Hussaini, created the statue of the Tamil king Veeran Azhagu Muthu Kone, who was the first Indian king to have waged a war against the British.

The statue was unveiled on Friday.

The uniquely designed 10-feet-high sculpture, which took Hussaini three months to complete, weighs 2,400 kilograms. The price of the statue is Rs 1.2 million.

Hussaini said that through the statue, he wanted to bring back the memory of their first freedom fighter.

“We wanted to bring back the memory of one of our greatest and first fighters of our freedom movement. In his symbol, the Yadavas (a dynasty ruling in Tamil Nadu in medieval times) would seek resurgence and regimentation. When I designed the statue, we decided that there has to be a huge wave and on the crest of the wave, the guy will ride. The man will be having a swollen chest with a bronze sword and a shield that moves out in a symbol of valor and courage,” said Hussaini.

Hussaini has also designed statues of late Indian astronaut Kalpana Chawla and Pope John Paul II, and a bust of Indian poacher and sandalwood smuggler Veerappan. (ANI)