Marjing Polo Statue
The Marjing Polo Statue is a colossal classical equestrian statue of a player of, riding a Meitei horse, constructed at the Marjing Polo Complex, the sacred sports site dedicated to God Marjing, the ancient Meitei deity of polo and horses, in Heingang, Imphal East District,.
It is the world's tallest statue of a polo player.
It is built to commemorate the game of "modern polo" being originated from.
Description
The Marjing Polo Statue is tall. The cost of construction of the statue is.The gigantic polo statue stands above a pedestal of a three-storey building, with recreational facilities.
The statue's inner structure is made of steel and its outer surface is covered by bronze. Its design is prepared by Professor Somnath Ghose of Jadavpur University.
Previously, during January–April 2016, the Government of Manipur planned to build the statue with a height of at the construction cost of.
Prior to the construction of the statue, a roadway was made up to the base of the place where the statue was to be built, for which permission was granted to the construction team by the Ministry of Environment and Forest.
Inauguration
On 6 January 2023, the Marjing Polo Statue was inaugurated by Amit Shah, the then Minister of Home Affairs of the Union Government of India, in the presence of Nongthombam Biren, the then Chief Minister of Manipur, at a function organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Manipur.Regarding the inauguration, Amit Shah stated:
Significance
Nongthombam Biren, the Chief Minister of Manipur, said that the 122 feet tall Marjing polo statue will "highlight the significance of the birthplace of Polo and revive the glory of Manipur".He also stressed the significance of the statue, being the tallest and the biggest polo statue, inaugurated in recognition of Sagol Kangjei,, Arambai, etc.