New Delhi/Port Louis/IBNS: Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth inaugurated an event in Mauritius where a 12-feet high statue of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was unveiled, amid the presence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. PM Narendra Modi said the event makes every Indian feel proud.

In a tweet, PM Modi said the presence of Mauritian PM Jugnauth has made the occasion even more special.

“Every Indian is proud to see this! The thoughts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj reverberate globally. The august presence of PM @KumarJugnauth has made the occasion even more special," PM Modi.

He was responding to a tweet by the Maharashtra Deputy CM, who said that it was a momentous occasion as the statue of Shivaji had got installed 5,000 km away from India.

“It was one of the greatest moments of my life! Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue got installed 5000 kms away from His homeland, that too at the hands of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Mauritius Shri @KumarJugnauth Ji, in presence of Hon’ble Alan Ganoo ji and hundreds of Marathi sisters and brothers of Mauritius. Just imagine the gravity of unparalleled greatness and our great King!!

"I thank and appreciate Asant Govind ji and Mauritius Marathi Mandali Federation team for this historic initiative," Fadnavis tweeted.

The statue was installed on Friday at the Maharashtra Bhavan in Mauritius, when Fadnavis, accompanied by a delegation, was in the Indian Ocean island nation on a two-day official visit.

During the inauguration, Fadnavis said that Shivaji was the greatest king in the history of India, who fought the colonial powers and taught Indians what freedom is.

Addressing the gathering at the Maharashtra Bhavan, Prime Minister Jugnauth said that the presence of Fadnavis shows his appreciation of the close ties between the Marathi community in Mauritius and Maharashtra.

Prime Minister Jugnauth called for strengthening unity, harmony, and patriotism, which he said will help the country move forward. He reiterated that as the Prime Minister he is committed to provide necessary support to socio-cultural and religious group.

The Mauritius Prime Minister laid emphasis on the importance of preserving all the different religious and cultural identities that thrive in the multicultural fabric of Mauritius.

Fadnavis expressed his belief that under the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Mauritius will further consolidate its relations with Maharashtra and India.

On Thursday, Fadnavis and his delegation visited the first settlement of the Marathi community in Mauritius, in the Black River Gorge. They then visited the Pandhurang Khestra Mandir in Cascavelle and went to the Ganga Talao.

On his part, Minister Alan Ganoo expressed gratitude to the Indian Council for Cultural Relations for the generous donation of the statue of Shivaji, whose unveiling, he emphasised, is of great significance as it marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Mauritius.

According to reports, Mauritius has over 75,000 Marathi-speaking people and the Maharashtra Bhavan was built 25 years ago with funding from the Maharashtra government.

People from Maharashtra have been living in Mauritius for over two centuries, and many of them are holding key positions. They have preserved their culture and traditions. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Day is one of the programmes organised by the Maharashtrians in Mauritius.

Every year the event is held on May 1. This year it was held on April 28.

Festivals like Gudhipadwa, Maharashtra Day, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Day, Ganesh Utsav, Dahi Handi (Shrikrishna Janmashtami), Diwali and other festivals are celebrated with religious fervour by the community.