Ranjit Singh’s bronze statue to be unveiled in Lahore today

BATHINDA: A life-size bronze statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh on a horseback will be unveiled in Lahore to mark his 180th death anniversary on Thursday.
Ranjit Singh, who was given the title of Sher-e-Punjab, was known for his valour and ruled Punjab for 38 years.
The statue will be unveiled at Lahore Fort amd maintained by Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA). The statue has been sponsored by the UK-based historian and Sikh Khalsa (SK) Foundation head Bobby Singh Bansal.
It took nearly 8 months in completing the statue which has 85% bronze, 5% tin, 5% lead and 5% zinc, as per express release sent by WCLA.
As per WCLA director (conservation and planning) Najam Saquib, the Sikh community from United Kingdom had contacted WCLA for this statue and the case was presented before the Lahore Heritage Conservation Board, which approved it. “The concept of a statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh on horseback was conceived by historian Bobby Singh Bansal, and Raj Kapany of Sikh Foundation (US) to promote the history of Punjab, especially Sikh culture, heritage and tourism in Pakistan. The statue, which has been built by local artists in cold bronze and will be 7 feet tall, is being gifted to the people of Pakistan by Bobby Singh Bansal to forge a unity of lasting friendship between the rich history of Punjab and to commemorate the maharaja's 180th death anniversary by its people,” says the press release.
The unveiling ceremony promises to a historical occasion. The statue is being placed near the haveli (mansion) of Maharani Jindan at Lahore Fort.
Ranjit Singh was born on November 19, 1780, at Gujranwala in Pakistan and ruled Punjab from 1801 to his death on June 27, 1839, in Lahore.