NAVI MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday unveiled a 20-foot bronze statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji at the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), describing the monument as a “symbol of Maharashtra’s pride and a source of inspiration” for travellers using the state’s newest international gateway.
The unveiling ceremony was held on Shiv Rajyabhishek Day, commemorating the coronation of Shivaji in 1674. The installation comes nearly six months after the airport commenced commercial operations on December 25, 2025.
Fadnavis said the day marked the moment when “Swarajya got its chhatrapati” and when “the world accepted Hindavi swarajya”.
“When we came to inspect the airport earlier, I had instructed that since this airport is in Raigad district (home to Raigad Fort from where Shivaji ruled), the capital of swarajya, maharaj’s statue must be here. I am delighted that within just eight months, such a grand statue has been prepared and unveiled today,” he said.
The statue is a prominent cultural landmark within the airport precinct. Planners have incorporated elements inspired by the Konkan region and Warli art traditions, positioning NMIA as a distinctly Maharashtrian gateway for domestic and international travellers.
Saturday’s event also brought renewed attention to the pending demand that the airport be named after Loknete Dinkar Balu (DB) Patil. The issue remains politically and emotionally significant among project-affected families, farmers and local residents, many of whom regard Patil as the face of the movement for the rights of landowners affected by major development projects in the region.
{{/usCountry}}Saturday’s event also brought renewed attention to the pending demand that the airport be named after Loknete Dinkar Balu (DB) Patil. The issue remains politically and emotionally significant among project-affected families, farmers and local residents, many of whom regard Patil as the face of the movement for the rights of landowners affected by major development projects in the region.
{{/usCountry}}Reiterating the government’s stand, Fadnavis said the state had completed all the required formalities and that efforts to secure the centre’s approval were continuing. “It is our insistence that the airport must be named after Loknete Di Ba Patil… we will definitely get this naming done,” he said.
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