Statue of Valour

Statue of Valour
The Statue of Valour in Assam
Interactive map of Statue of Valour
LocationLachit Borphukan Maidam, Hollongapar, near Teok, Jorhat, Assam, India
Coordinates26°46′58″N 94°19′28″E / 26.782834°N 94.324536°E / 26.782834; 94.324536
DesignerRam V. Sutar
TypeStatue
MaterialBronze
Height125 feet (38 m) (including pedestal)
Beginning date25 February 2022
Completion dateMarch 2024
Opening date9 March 2024; 2 years ago (2024-03-09)
Dedicated toLachit Borphukan

The Statue of Valour is a bronze statue of Lachit Borphukan, a commander of the Ahom kingdom, located at the Lachit Borphukan Maidam, in Hollongapar near Teok in Jorhat district, Assam, India. The statue is 125 feet (38 m) tall, comprising a 84 feet (26 m) figure on a 41 feet (12 m) pedestal. It was designed by the sculptor Ram V. Sutar and was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 March 2024.

The statue stands near the maidam (burial mound) of Lachit Borphukan and forms part of the Lachit Barphukan Maidam Development Project, which also includes a museum, an auditorium and a hostel.

Background

Lachit Borphukan (1622–1672) was a military commander of the Ahom kingdom, which ruled much of the Brahmaputra Valley from 1228 to 1826. He is known for his role in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat, in which Ahom forces repelled a Mughal army led by Raja Ram Singh I that had attempted to retake Assam. He died the following year and was buried at the maidam at Hollongapar, a burial ground for Ahom royalty and nobility.

Since 1999, the National Defence Academy has awarded the Lachit Borphukan Gold Medal to its best graduating cadet each year.

History

Foundation

On 25 February 2022, President Ram Nath Kovind launched a year-long commemoration of the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati. During the event he laid, by video link, the foundation stones for the Alaboi War Memorial in Kamrup district and for works at the Lachit Barphukan Maidam in Jorhat. At the same event, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced plans for a memorial at Hollongapar with a 150 feet (46 m) bronze statue of Lachit Borphukan, together with a museum, an auditorium, guest houses and a refreshment hall. The completed statue is 125 feet (38 m) tall including its pedestal.

Construction

The statue was made by Ram V. Sutar, who also designed the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, at his studio in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. It was transported to Assam in parts over several months and assembled at Hollongapar.

Unveiling

Narendra Modi unveiled the statue on 9 March 2024 during a two-day visit to Assam. He arrived in Jorhat from Arunachal Pradesh by helicopter and took part in an Ahom ritual for the unveiling, accompanied by Himanta Biswa Sarma. Before the unveiling he offered prayers at the Lachit Maidam.

Memorial complex

The statue was installed in the first phase of the Lachit Barphukan Maidam Development Project, which covers about 16.5 acres (6.7 ha) at Hollongapar. Work on the second phase was under way at the time of the unveiling, including an auditorium with a capacity of 500. According to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the total cost of the project is ₹214 crore.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Lachit Borphukan known for Battle of Saraighat gets 125-foot statue in Jorhat". The Week. Press Trust of India. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "PM Modi unveils 125-foot statue of Lachit Borphukan in Assam's Jorhat". Deccan Herald. Press Trust of India. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  3. ↑ "Ram Sutar designed 125ft Lachit statue in Jorhat". The Times of India. 19 December 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  4. ↑ P. T. I. News. "Press Trust Of India". www.ptinews.com. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  5. ↑ "Statue of Valour watches over battle for Ahom pride in Assam's tea capital, Jorhat". The Hindu. 11 April 2024. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  6. ↑ "PM Narendra Modi unveils statue of Bir Lachit Barphukan in Jorhat, Assam". The Sentinel. Guwahati. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Launch of 400th year anniversary celebration of Lachit Borphukan on 25/02/2022 by Hon'ble President of India". Jorhat District. Government of Assam. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  8. 1 2 "President inaugurates year long celebrations of 400th birth anniversary of Bir Lachit" (PDF) (Press release). Chief Minister's Public Relations Cell, Government of Assam. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  9. ↑ "Assam: PM Modi unveils 125-feet Lachit Barphukan statue in Jorhat". The Assam Tribune. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2026.