Civilizational Diplomacy of Placing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Israel |
On June 6, 2026, the Israeli Consulate in Mumbai announced a highly strategic cultural initiative. The government of Israel plans to install a grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in a major Israeli city. Yaniv Revach, Israel’s Consul General in Mumbai, officially proposed this project to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Shivrajyabhishek Din, marking the anniversary of the Maratha king’s 1674 coronation. Fadnavis immediately threw the full weight of the Maharashtra government behind the initiative.
Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Jerusalem, Israel actively sought frameworks to deepen people-to-people connections with India. Revach explicitly noted the historical similarities between the two nations, emphasizing that both the Jewish people and the Marathas had to fight relentlessly for their land and identity across multiple........