Political statues that created traction for good and bad reasons

Narayan Murthy recently donated £200,000 (Rs 1.9 crore approx) to finish the stalled Mahatma Gandhi statue in the United Kingdom. ET Panache rounds up other political statues that have created traction, for reasons good or bad:

MOUNTAIN RUSHMORE

Mount Rushmore — an homage to four presidents — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln — took 14 long years to carve out.

Cost: $1 million in 1941; equivalent to $11 billion today

Height: 60 feet


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ME, MYSELF & MAYAWATI

As CM of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati devoted herself to herself and built 11 statues in her own honour.

Price: Rs 6 crore each

Height: 18 feet

SADDAM’S FALL

The statue erected in Firdos Square to honour the 65th birthday of Saddam Hussein was toppled by a US troop to symbolise the fall of the Hussein government.

HEIGHT: 39 feet


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MUGABE’S MEGALOMANIA

Zimbabwe’s poverty rates are as high as 80 per cent, the unemployment rate is higher at 95 per cent, but that didn’t stop the government from commissioning bronze replicas of leader Robert Mugabe.

Cost: $3.5 million (Rs 21 crore approx)

Height: 30 feet


(Getty Images)
SUPER SARDAR

The upcoming statue, is hoping to replace China’s Spring Temple Buddha as the tallest statue in the world.

Cost: Rs 2,989 crore

Height: 597 feet