Mumbai, Nov 7 (IANS): Maharashtra Chief Minister inaugurated an equestrian statue of the Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj installed at the Rashtriya Rifles 41 Maratha Light Infantry Regiment based in Kupwara in Jammu & Kashmir on Tuesday.

The statue has been erected in the district bordering Pakistan, and present with Shinde was the J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and Maharashtra Cultural Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.

A special 'puja' and 'aarti' was performed by a priest which was followed by a Maharashtrian cultural show and then the formal inauguration of the imposing statue.

The statue, built in collaboration with the ‘We Punekar Foundation’ and the ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Smarak Samiti’ was sent from Maharashtra on October 20 and handed over to the RR41MLI Regiment in Kupwara for the installation at a memorial there.

Shinde, L-G Sinha and others said the statue will inspire the brave soldiers guarding the country’s borders under adverse conditions round the clock.

The dignitaries were felicitated by the Regiments officers with souvenirs and mementos to mark the occasion.

Later, Shinde and Mungantiwar would join a pre-Diwali celebration and interact with the Regiment jawans posted there.