For centuries, artists have communicated through the eternal language of sculpture, providing us with a unique perspective of human life The oldest-known statue is about 30,000 years old. Statues can represent different personalities, characters that shaped the imagination of that specific period, and animals—real and mythical. Many statues are placed in public places and viewed as art.
India has a history of constructing memorials and statues as a way of preserving political memories. They are reminders of important historical events or people and are built to keep the past alive. As Benedict Anderson, a scholar of Southeast Asia argues, ‘Political symbols play a major part in the way a nation is depicted and fed into the imagination of its citizens.’
This walk will take you through the collection of statues housed at Cubbon Park—including those of Queen Victoria, Lord Cubbon, King Edward VII, Chamarajendra Wodeyar and K. Seshadri Iyer. These sculptures represent various historical figures, the socio-cultural and political atmosphere during the period of installation and embody the present-day situations that shape the way public spaces are used.
This guided tour is free.
