Glorifying my gods: cultural politics of statue making, Hindu symbolism, and power iconography.

This paper examines the recent emergence of statue-making in India, a powerful political-cultural state apparatus. Statue-making commemorates historical figures and events, thereby recreating dominant cultural narratives. The study focuses on how the Modi government has favoured Hindu culture and iconography through statue-making, particularly reinforcing the revival of Hindu visuals in public space. The paper uses qualitative approaches and data analysis investigating contemporary Indian statues as examples to investigate the complex relationship between statue-making and cultural politics. It highlights the conflicts that arise when monuments become contested sites. The paper argues that statue-making in India is a significant cultural practice that reflects and influences the political landscape. This Hindu iconography challenges the secular ideals of leaders like Nehru and Ambedkar, reshaping India’s religious and cultural identities through Modi’s policies, which feature statues and Hindu symbolism in public spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]