Mysore/Mysuru: A new Italian marble sword is being carved to replace the broken sword of Chamaraja Wadiyar statue in the heart of the city at Chamaraja Wadiyar Circle in front of the Palace.

The sword was broken on Oct. 15 during the ‘Jumboo Savari’ rush where people crowded the area to have a glimpse of the procession that was being conducted within the Palace premises due to COVID. People freely moved inside the statue enclosure and many were seen climbing on the pedestal to click photos and selfies.

In the process, the sword broke and also the boundary wall of the statue, the Circle bulbs and flower pots got damaged due to the havoc caused by the unruly crowd. A video of damages caused to the statue went viral triggering outrage.

Now instead of repairing or fixing the old sword, a new Italian marble sword is being carved by Y. Suryaprakash, eldest son of noted city sculptor Yogiraj. The carving has been completed and he is giving final touches to the same. Once the sword is done, it will be fixed with screws to the statue.

“Instead of repairing the broken sword and fixing the broken part with glue, it has been decided to fix a new sword without causing any damage to the structure and at the same time retain its originality. In the past, every time the sword broke, only that particular portion would be replaced. This is a new sword that will be fixed with screws,” Suryaprakash told Star of Mysore.

He said that the fixing of the sword will take at least four to five hours. “We are contemplating to accomplish the job in the night as it would cause traffic jams if we carry out restoration work in the morning,” he added.

Mysuru City Corporation’s Zone 6 Junior Engineer M. Kavitha said that the new sword is being made with an estimated cost of Rs. 48,000. “The stone railings and steps made of marble around the statue have also collapsed and we are not getting marble to fix these. We are collecting information about the marble availability and if the stones are not available, we will have to use the same stones used for Raja Marge balustrades for the repair works,” she said.