Missing Shivaji statue found in San Jose scrapyard
Gift from San Jose’s sister city Pune “holds incredible value to our Indian community,” says mayor Matt Mahan
A statue of 17th century Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj which went missing from a public park in San Jose, California last month has been found.
The statue depicting the Maratha warrior on horseback holding a sword at Guadalupe River Park was a gift from San Jose’s sister city Pune in India. It was also the only statue of Shivaji Maharaj in North America.
Read: Shivaji statue goes missing from California park (February 7, 2023)
According to Mercury News one of its reporters found the statue next to a soda machine in the lobby of Tung Tai Group, a San Jose metal scrapyard north of downtown, on Feb 9. The statue was reported stolen on Jan 31 from Guadalupe River Park, sawed off at the hooves.
After being notified of its location, two police officers and two detectives went to the scrapyard around 2 pm on Feb 9 and interviewed its workers. An officer and one of the scrapyard’s workers then loaded the statue into the back of a patrol car.
Workers at the scrapyard told Mercury News two men and one woman came to the site at 1726 Rogers Ave on Jan 29 to drop off the sculpture, but did not provide a more detailed description of the trio.
The statue appeared to be in good condition, which heartened Sunil Ganu, a San Jose resident who helped get the statue installed over two decades ago. “I am so glad that it is back,” Ganu told the newspaper. “People wanted to know where it was.”
The statue was first brought to the city in 1999 as a symbol of friendship between San Jose and its sister city of Pune located in western India.
Months after it was brought to San Jose, it was stolen from a home residence and later discovered by a jogger on a city trail. It was later installed by the city in 2002.
The statue’s subject, known best as the founder of India’s Maratha Empire, is still celebrated around the world — with a major event coming up in a few weeks in Los Angeles, according to Mercury News.
At Guadalupe River Park, it was propped up on a large concrete block alongside a pole with rotating flags of San Jose and India — as well as plaques describing Shivaji Maharaj’s significance.
Suneel Kelkar, president of the San Jose-Pune sister city organization, told Mercury News he was happy to have the sculpture recovered but questioned whether it could be re-installed considering its legs were cut off. “I don’t know if you can use it anymore,” he said. “I don’t know if it can be repaired.”
Before the statue was recovered, both Banu and Kelkar said they were perplexed at how individuals could steal the sculpture.
According to Ganu, the statue had to be hoisted by a small crane when it was originally installed. The horses’ hooves are also quite thick — roughly three to four inches in diameter.
City officials also are still figuring out whether the statue is made of bronze or iron. At 440 pounds, a bronze statue would fetch approximately $880, while an iron statue would be around $88 as scrap metal.
The mayor’s spokesperson said police will be investigating the incident and the statue will eventually be returned to the city. It wasn’t immediately clear whether it could be re-installed at Guadalupe River Park.
San Jose’s International Affairs Manager Joe Hedges said the missing statue had sparked reactions across the globe when it first disappeared. “We are so pleased to have the statue back,” he said.
Read: Chhatrapati Shivaji statue goes missing from California park (February 7, 2023)
“I hope it is in a condition where it can be re-installed and enjoyed by our citizens.” He said the city would be reaching out to San Francisco’s Consulate General of India to notify them of the statue’s recovery.
“This statue holds incredible value to our Indian community, embracing our shared pride and respect for the warrior-ruler Shivaji and our relationship with our sister-city Pune,” Mayor Matt Mahan stated. “I’m thrilled it will shortly be returned to the City.”
