Artist Wajid Khan making India’s tallest Vivekanand statue
ALIGARH: International artist Wajid Khan, famous for his ‘iron nail art’, is making the tallest statue of Swami Vivekanand in India that would be installed in Uttar Pradesh.
The statue made of ashtdhatu (alloy) will be 170-feet tall and will be installed either in Lucknow or Agra, said Khan.
He said the statue will be completed in six months.
Khan is here to take part in the four-day International Art Festival being organised at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
Though Wajid Khan has not studied in any university or college, he has made a mark for himself by his craftsmanship in metal statue making.
He is also making a sculpture for FIFA 2022 to be held in Qatar.
The project will take five years to complete.
“A 40-feet statue of Swami Vivekanand is installed in Kolkata and that is his tallest statue. Now, the work on making his 170-feet statue has started in Indore,” said Khan.
“The project is being financed by some businessmen from UP, Delhi and Gujarat. They will decide on the place where the statue will finally be installed. As of now, the first preference is Lucknow and the second is Agra. Due to any reason, if the statue is not installed these cities, the third option will be Delhi,” he added.
“The statue is being made from eight metals including iron, zinc and copper. For the time, the total cost of the statue cannot be revealed,” he said.
Wajid Khan said he is also making a 10x8 ft statue of British Queen Elizabeth, which will be installed at the Royal Palace in London.
Khan has embarked upon a new venture. A proposed retro Bhopal city will be established in 40 acres area in Bhopal and the artist will give it a 2,000 years old look.
The project is being financed by some businessmen.