A 40-foot-high bronze statue of Maharaja Suheldev was unveiled by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday in Bahraich.
According to officials, the grand statue on the banks of the Chittora Lake weighs 17 tonnes and is 40 feet long and 17 feet wide. It shows the 11th century warrior king who ruled Shravasti in Bahraich riding a horse with a spear in his hand and a bow on his shoulder.
Maharaja Suheldev, an icon of the Rajbhar community, had defeated and killed Ghaznavid general Ghazi Syed Salar Masud in a battle on the banks of the Chittora Lake in Bahraich in 1033 AD.
"In the war fought on the banks of this Chittora Lake, the valiant Maharaja Suheldev defeated and killed Salar Masud. A grand statue and memorial of Maharaja Suheldev showing his bravery has been built on the banks of this lake," BJP MLA Subhash Tripathi told PTI.
"This memorial is a great example of the tradition of honouring our ancestors started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath," he said.
Bahraich District Magistrate Monica Rani said the Chittora Lake area has been developed as a cultural tourist centre and as a memorial. "It will be operated on a PPP mode. The memorial has been constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 40 crore," the DM told PTI.
There are adequate arrangements for tourists to stay and sightseeing in the beautiful picturesque natural environment.
Four VVIP suite rooms, a dormitory for tourists, a huge auditorium, a cafeteria, beautiful pathways, an open-air stage, a herbal garden, a children's area, etc. have been built here.
Four beautiful ghats have been constructed on the banks of the lake.
Adequate parking space has been left for the convenience of tourists, officials said.
The DM also said that the statue of Maharaja Suheldev is made of 82 to 85 per cent bronze.