Thackeray Memorial to have interactive hologram of Shiv Sena founder

A lifelike version of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray is set to be the key attraction at his proposed memorial with the designers of the Thackeray memorial planning to have an interactive hologram of the Sena founder. The two-level underground memorial at Shivaji Park in Dadar will be spread over 20,000 sq feet and will have galleries, exhibition halls and a library.

On the 93rd birth anniversary of Thackeray on Wednesday, the land of the Mayor bungalow, which is the site for the memorial, was officially handed over to the Balasaheb Thackeray Memorial Public Trust. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray shared the stage for the ceremony. The two leaders also had a closed door meeting, but Sena legislators said there was no political discussion.

Shashi Prabhu, noted architect and a member of the memorial trust, said that they will rope in an international firm for the technology. “Many people have not seen Balasaheb speaking, so such a technology will give people and especially the younger generation a glimpse of how he used to talk, his voice, among others,” Prabhu said.

Prabhu added that they plan to use excerpts of his speeches, preloaded question and answers. “It will help to spread his message to the people. It will become a huge attraction to the memorial; otherwise it will just be a museum of sorts,” he said.

The Mayor Bungalow, a Grade II-B heritage structure, will not be touched during the construction of the memorial. The trust, according to Subhash Desai, Sena leader and general secretary of the trust, has finalised a plan to have an underground memorial. The two-level memorial is designed by architect Abha Narain Lambah.

Anil R Patil, an architect working on the design of the memorial, said it is a challenging task to go underground as the plot is adjoining the sea. “We are going to create a barrier—double walls with 1.5m gap—to prevent seepage from all sides. It will have two levels and the estimated area would be about 20,000sq feet to 22,000sq feet. Landscaping will also be done in the lawn and garden areas. A bust of Balasaheb will be installed outside the bungalow,” he said.

Prabhu said that as the Sena supremo was an artist first then a political leader, the memorial will have space where artists can exhibit their work. “It will have galleries, exhibition room and a library as Balasaheb loved reading,” he said. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will implement the project and will soon invite bids to appoint a contractor for the construction.

First Published: Jan 24, 2019 15:37 IST