Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena on Friday dismissed the AAP’s objection to ‘Shivling-shaped’ fountains installed in the national Capital, saying they are just art pieces and there is God in “every particle of the country”.
Sources in the ruling AAP claimed the party will file a police complaint over the fountains as they have hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. Reacting to this, Saxena said, “This is childish behaviour.”
Saxena said the ongoing installation of new structures, and renovation efforts in the national capital in view of the G20 Summit has created permanent assets and asked Delhiites to preserve them.
Saxena and Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakashi Lekhi unveiled the newly installed Yakshini sculptures at Yakshini Chowk and on Ulan Batar Road in Delhi Cantt at the junction of Thimayya Marg and Palam Technical Area and later inaugurated the IAF Park in front of the Air Force Station in Palam, Raj Niwas officials said.
The LG emphasised that such structures, renovations and refurbishing across the city has created permanent assets for Delhi and its people and it was everyone’s responsibility to maintain and preserve them in the years to come.
Speaking at the inauguration, Saxena said the newly installed sculptures of Yakshinis represent the mythical guards of Lord Kuber’s treasury and now symbolise the sentinels of an ever emerging powerful and prosperous India.
The Yakshinis culptures installed at the newly christened Yakshini Chowk have been sculpted by noted sculptor from Odisha, DhrubaCharan Swain and those at Ulan Batar Marghave been sculpted by another Odia sculptor Sudarshan Sahoo.
Saxena had travelled to Odisha in June this year to procure these sculptures, with an aim to adorn the National Capital with artefacts from all across the country, apart from providing an impetus to indigenous artisans and artists.
These sculptures, in addition to many others installed at different locations in the capital, are reminiscent of our ancient cultural heritage, he said. The Yakshini sculptures at both Ulan Batar Road and Yakshini Chowk stand at 6 ft tall. Two MIG fighter planes provided by the Indian Air Force have been installed at the newly inaugurated IAF Park. Eight water fountains installed at equal distances from each other in a symmetrical design.
Saxena said the park and the road junction that lie just outside the Palam Air Force Station had been lying in an unkempt condition and have since undergone a transformation in a short period of just two months.
As Delhi gears up to host the G20 summit from September 9 to 10, arterial stretches in the capital have been given a makeover.
As part of the beautification drive, 18 fountains shaped like the ‘Shivling’ have been installed at the Hanuman Mandir junction in the Palam airport’s technical area, according to officials.
