LAHORE: Pakistan is all set to celebrate Maharaja Ranjit Singh's 180th birthday by unveiling a statue at Lahore Fort also known as 'Shahi Qila'. The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA), which primarily looks after the historic architecture in the old city area will install a life-size sculpture of the Maharaja.
According to reports, the life-size statue will be installed outside the Sikh Gallery of the Lahore Fort. Pictures of the life-size statue released earlier on social media show Ranjit Singh riding his favorite Arabic horse, Kahar Bahar. History narrates that the said horse was gifted to the Maharaja by Dost Muhammad Khan, founder of the Barakzai dynasty.
Director of the Faqir Khana Museum, Faqir Saifuddin in conversation with Express Tribune revealed information about the Maharaja's sculpture.
The statue made up of bronze, tin and lead weighs over 300 kg as per initial reports. Saifuddin further told the newspaper that the statue in question is quite similar to other statues of the Maharaja in the region in particular.
In 2003, a 22-feet tall bronze statue of the Maharaja was installed in the Parliament of India. According to India Today, a French town called Saint Tropez had installed a bronze bust of the Maharaja too.
Maharaja has had a close association with the city of Lahore in the early half of the 19th century where he became the leader of the Sikh Dynasty and the city became his final resting place later on.
Born in 1780, Ranjit Singh took the title of Maharaja on April 12, 1801 (to coincide with Baisakhi day), with Lahore having served as his capital from 1799.
According to reports, the life-size statue will be installed outside the Sikh Gallery of the Lahore Fort. Pictures of the life-size statue released earlier on social media show Ranjit Singh riding his favorite Arabic horse, Kahar Bahar. History narrates that the said horse was gifted to the Maharaja by Dost Muhammad Khan, founder of the Barakzai dynasty.
Director of the Faqir Khana Museum, Faqir Saifuddin in conversation with Express Tribune revealed information about the Maharaja's sculpture.
The statue made up of bronze, tin and lead weighs over 300 kg as per initial reports. Saifuddin further told the newspaper that the statue in question is quite similar to other statues of the Maharaja in the region in particular.
In 2003, a 22-feet tall bronze statue of the Maharaja was installed in the Parliament of India. According to India Today, a French town called Saint Tropez had installed a bronze bust of the Maharaja too.
Maharaja has had a close association with the city of Lahore in the early half of the 19th century where he became the leader of the Sikh Dynasty and the city became his final resting place later on.
Born in 1780, Ranjit Singh took the title of Maharaja on April 12, 1801 (to coincide with Baisakhi day), with Lahore having served as his capital from 1799.