Thackeray memorial ready, likely to be dedicated on his birth anniversary

Bal Thackeray Memorial's first phase is complete, set for dedication on Jan 23, potentially uniting rival Shiv Sena factions at the event.

MUMBAI: Construction for the first phase of the Bal Thackeray Memorial was completed on Tuesday, and is expected to be dedicated next month. A source from MMRDA told HT that the dedication ceremony was likely to take place on January 23, the late Shiv Sena patriarch’s birth anniversary.

Thackeray memorial ready, likely to be dedicated on his birth anniversary

The dedication event could see both factions of the Shiv Sena, and arch-rivals Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde sharing the same stage for the first time since the party’s split in June 2022.

Born on January 23, 1926 in Pune, Bal Thackeray passed away on November 12, 2012. The idea to have a memorial in his name was mooted subsequently. The search for a suitable location began, and eventually the bungalow at Dadar’s Shivaji Park, which was traditionally occupied by Mumbai’s mayors, was taken over in early 2017 and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) appointed as the implementing agency. Tata Projects was appointed in March 2021 to execute the project.

Work on the Thackeray memorial happened in two phases. Initially estimated to cost ₹89 crore when the work was awarded, the cost swelled to ₹400 crore. The first phase has works worth ₹180.99 crore. The entire project is spread over 6,056.82 square metres.

The first phase involved the restoration of the heritage bungalow and establishing an interpretation centre in it, and constructing an entrance block building, an administration block and landscaping. The place will have 27 parking slots, two multi-purpose halls, two meeting rooms and a security & surveillance room. The interpretation centre will also have a digital and a physical library, a gallery, three artificial water bodies, a canteen, a conference room and public conveniences.

The heritage structure, restored by conservationist Abha Narain Lamba, will showcase the Thackeray family legacy and the journey of the Sena from June 1966. There will also be a section on the Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ founded by Thackeray, and the caricatures done by him for it and various other newspapers. The memorial will be managed by the Balasaheb Thackeray Rashtriya Smarak Trust, which is chaired by Bal Thackeray’s grandson and MLA Aaditya Thackeray.

The project’s second phase involves the installation of audio-visual elements such as a laser show, signage, branding, digital mapping, audio narration and virtual reality. Abha Narain Lambah Associates has been appointed as a consultant for this as well, and the appointment of a contractor is in progress.