Renowned sculptor Ram Sutar, best known as the designer of the Statue of Unity—the world’s tallest statue in Gujarat—passed away on Wednesday night, December 17, at his residence in Noida. He was 100 and had been suffering from age-related ailments. The news was confirmed by his son on Thursday.
“It is with deep sorrow that we inform you that my father, Shri Ram Vangi Sutar, passed away at our home at midnight on December 17,” his son Anil Sutar said.
Born on February 19, 1925, in Gondur village of present-day Dhule district in Maharashtra, Sutar rose from a humble background and developed a passion for sculpture at an early age. A gold medallist from Mumbai’s Sir J J School of Art, he went on to carve a distinguished career spanning several decades.
Among his most acclaimed works are the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in a meditative pose at the Parliament complex and the iconic equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He also designed the Statue of Unity, dedicated to India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
In recognition of his immense contribution to Indian art and culture, Ram Sutar was conferred the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016. He was also honoured with the Maharashtra Bhushan Award, the highest civilian honour of the state.