Dancing Woman Statue Breaks During Beautification Drive, Sparks Protest In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Tension prevailed near the Master Canteen area in the capital city on Saturday after a statue of a dancing woman broke while it was being shifted from the circle of the iconic warrior horse statue.

The incident took place in the morning during the shifting of the four statues of the dancing women around the horse statue with the help of a crane. Following the incident, activists of the Pujyamula Sankruti Suraksha Abhiyan staged a dharna near the circle.

Talking to mediapersons, member of the Pujyamula Sankruti Suraksha Abhiyan Pradyumna Satpathy said taking note of the people’s opinion against shifting the iconic horse statue from the Master Canteen for the beautification drive, the Chief Minister had assured that it will not be disturbed.

“By shifting the statues from the place in the name of beautification and breaking one of those in the process, the officials have not only betrayed the assurance of the chief minister but also the people. Under no circumstances, we will allow them to shift these statues,” Satpathy said.

Surya Narayan Sahoo, son of eminent sculptor Sudarshan Sahoo, who later repaired the broken statue by joining the parts with adhesive, said these statues, which are made of Khondalite stones, wear out after they are kept in the open for years. “The statues in Konark temple and the Jagannath temple have the same condition,” he added.

The beautification drive jointly carried out by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and Bhubaneswar Smart City Ltd (BSCL) has begun under the supervision of Sudarshan Sahoo.

As decided, the statues around the iconic horse statue will be shifted and re-installed near the iconic warrior horse after widening of the road from Master Canteen Square to Ram Mandir Square.

The beautification drive and the widening of the road will be completed in two and a half months.

Talking about the beautification, Sahoo said after the completion of the road construction work, the statues will be re-installed around the iconic horse statue. There will be lamination around the iconic horse and the sculptured stone will be put up on four sides of the horse statue. The entire portion will be decorated with coloured lights.

Also Read: Iconic Warrior Horse Statue To Stay At Master Canteen Square In Bhubaneswar!