Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday visited the Noida residence of veteran sculptor Ram Sutar to present him with the 'Maharashtra Bhushan' award for 2024.
Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, along with Culture Minister Ashish Shelar, were also present for the occasion.
Sutar, renowned for iconic works including the Statue of Unity, is counted among India's most celebrated sculptors. The announcement that Ram Sutar would be the recipient of the state government's top honour was made by Fadnavis in the legislative assembly on March 20, 2025.
The award comprises a cash prize of ₹25 lakh, a citation, and a medal.
Who is Ram Sutar?
Ram Sutar was born on February 9, 1925 in Gondur village of Dhulia district in Maharashtra. Earlier, he was mentored by Shriram Krishna Joshi and was later enrolled at Sir JJ School of Art in Bombay.
Sutar, who works with his Son Anil, has been associated with many major projects like the Statue of Unity, the 251-metre tall statue of Lord Ram at Ayodhya, 153-feet high statue of Lord Shiva in Bengaluru and a 100-feet tall statue of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj at Moshi in Pune.
Other sculptures include the 10-feet-long bronze figure of Govind Ballabh Pant in Delhi, statue of Karpuri Thakur and Bihar Vibhuti Anugrah Narain Sinha in Bihar, among others.
In 1959, Sutar shited to Delhi and worked in the information and broadcasting ministry. He, however, soon quit his job and started a career as a freelance sculptor.
Also read: CM Fadnavis says MahaYuti united ahead of local body polls
Follow us
