Maharashtra: Rajkot Fort Shut Again as Pathway Near Newly-Rebuilt Shivaji Statue Caves in

New Delhi Less than two months after the inauguration of a 91-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the refurbished Rajkot Fort in Malvan, in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, has been shut to the public due to a partial cave-in near the statue’s platform last week, The Indian Express reported.

The incident, caused by heavy rains in the region, raised concerns about the structural integrity and safety of the site which was renovated, along with the statue that was rebuilt. The Public Works Department (PWD) issued a notice stating that the fort will be closed for tourists and the repair work would continue for several days.

While the statue itself was intact, videos on social media showed sunken ground around the pathway near the statue.

As a result, opposition leaders have cornered the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government over the incident.

Highlighting that the new statue was inaugurated as recently as May 11, 2025, by chief minister Fadnavis, Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal alleged, “It is a sign of poor construction if the pedestal has developed a big hole in one month. The statue inaugurated by PM Modi fell in just eight months due to huge corruption in carrying out the work.”

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut accused the government of prioritising political spending over essential public works. "The original statue inaugurated by PM Modi collapsed. Then a new one was erected with crores of rupees spent. Now the ground near the pedestal has caved in again. This is what happens when corruption dictates construction," Raut said.

The new grand statue was inaugurated just nine months after a 35-feet-tall statue of the Maratha ruler, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated in December 2023, had collapsed in August last year.

Following the incident, Modi  had apologised, calling Shivaji a “revered deity” for his party and its members.

At 91 feet, much taller than the previous one, the new statue is made entirely of bronze and has been reportedly built at a cost of Rs 31.75 crore by the State Public Works Department. It has a 10-feet-tall pedestal.

At the unveiling ceremony, Fadnavis had said adequate care had been taken for the new statue to last “at least 100 years” in any environment. He had said that its maintenance has been given to those who built it.

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