Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his two-day trip to Assam, has inaugurated the 125-foot-tall bronze statue of General Lachit Barphukan in Jorhat. It is named 'Statue of Valour' and was unveiled at the Lachit Barphukan Maidam Development Project at Hollongapar near Teok. PM Modi was dressed in traditional attire and paid his respect to the Lachit Barphukan at the ceremony and participated in the Ahom ritual. He flew to Jorhat from Arunachal Pradesh and was accompanied by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Celebrating the inauguration of the statue, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted, "Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendramodi Ji is dedicating the Statue of Valour: A magnificent tribute to Lachit Barphukan - to the people of Bharat at Jorhat."

 

 

The statue is built by famous Indian sculptor, Ram Vanji Sutar who also made the world's tallest statue, the Statue of Unity. The Statue of Valour stands 84 feet and is placed on a 41-foot pedestal. The complete structure is 125 feet tall. 

General Lachit Barphukan (1622-1672) was an army commander of the Ahom Kingdom of Assam (1228-1826) and is known for his bravery and battle tactics. He had a major role in fighting the Mughals and defeating them. During a Mughal invasion in 1671, Lachit led the army and pushed back the Mughals despite having fewer men. To honour his legacy, the National Defence Academy (NDA) awards the Lachit Barphukan trophy to its top graduating cadet every year. Lachit Barphukan's birthday, November 24, is also celebrated as Lachit Divas.

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