Mumbai, Oct 20 (IANS): Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday flagged off a vehicle carrying an equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj which will be installed in Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Governor performed an idol worship and rath puja of the Chhatrapati as the statue will travel from here to Kupwara

The statue has been built in collaboration with 'We Punekar Foundation' and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Smarak Samiti, and will be handed over to the Rashtriya Rifles 41 Maratha Light Infantry Regiment based in Kupwara for the installation at a memorial coming up there.

Shinde said that the Indian Navy Day will be celebrated on December 4 this year at the iconic Sindhudurg Fort in the Konkan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will grace the momentous occasion.

Governor Bais said that there is little awareness of the imposing forts built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and urged that measures should be taken to attract more tourists there by launching a 'Fort Circuit', publishing information booklets on all the forts state and other initiatives to popularise the state's history.

"Many kings built palaces for themselves, but Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj did not construct anything for himself and instead constructed a network of forts to protect his kingdom," the Governor pointed out.

Speaking at the event, Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said that a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will also come up in London through public funding, and the Maratha leader's biography would be provided in 20 languages for wider reach, besides in Braille.