Set in the middle of a landscaped circle, right across the main entrance of the Sayaji Baug, stands a life sized equestrian statue of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in all the glory of as a people’s king. The statue was actually commissioned by the people of the city on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Maharaja’s reign, and is the symbol of the immense love and respect that his people had for him. It is said that the statue was kept under a veil and was only unveiled on the designated day, i.e. 18th March 1914* by Maharaja Holkar of Indore. (It is written 5th March 1907 on the plaque of statue, but it is an writing mistake, as told by Historian Chandrashekhar Patil, who has photo of inauguration of the same dated 18th March 1914*)
The Statue :
Built out of bronze, it was made by sculptor Francis Derwent Wood and had cost Rs. 60,000. It stands on a 8 feet high, roughly rectangular shaped stone pedestal. This pedestal bears inscriptions about the statue in Gujarati, Marathi and English as well. The smaller sides of the pedestal is embellished with a roman style relief of a lady.
The horse on which the Maharaja is seated is almost as high as the pedestal, and has two of his legs in the air. The two raised hooves of the horse is actually a representation of the traveling nature of the Maharaja. The Maharaja himself can be seen in full regalia along with a 6′ long sword. This statue is one of the only few statues of the Maharaja that depicts him with a mustache.
*
Because of the black color of the horse, the statue has came to be known as the “Kala Ghoda”(black horse) and is a prominent landmark of the city, showing the devotion of city’s people towards their beloved king.
[alert type=red ]Note: The dates published in this post may or may not be perfect, as the dates inscribed on the statue and documents of the time differ. *Last updated on 15 March 2021. [/alert]
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