Renowned sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar passed away last night at his residence in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. He was 100 years old and had been suffering from age-related illnesses. Sutar was known for designing the world’s tallest statue – the Statue of Unity – in Gujarat.
Born in the Dhule district of present-day Maharashtra in 1925, Ram Vanji Sutar was a gold medallist from the JJ School of Art and Architecture in Mumbai. The iconic statues of Mahatma Gandhi seated in a meditative pose and Chhatrapati Shivaji riding a horse on the Parliament premises, rank among his finest creations.
100 years old sculptor was a Padma Bhushan awardee and designed the Statue of Unity, which is the world’s tallest statue with a height of 182 metres.
Ram Vanji Sutar was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2016 and the Padma Shri in 1999. He was recently also conferred with the Maharashtra Bhushan Puraskar, the state’s highest award.
