25-metre tricolour, mural of freedom fighter Maulana Azad now adorn busy Nagpada junction

Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar unveiled a 25-metre tricolour and a mural of renowned freedom fighter Maulana Abul Kalam Azad at the busy Nagpada junction on Thursday.

The mural of Azad, independent India’s first education minister, was unveiled by the mayor a day before his 61st death anniversary.

“Azad made a valuable contribution to the educational progress of this country and this mural is an apt tribute to him,” Mahadeshwar told reporters after the inauguration.

The inauguration was followed a flag hoisting ceremony and a tribute to the martyrs of the Pulwama attack.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and local corporator Rais Shaikh, SP MLA Abu Azmi and AIMIM MLA Waris Pathan were among those present at the ceremony.

According to reports, Shaikh had floated the idea to beautify the busy junction connecting Maulana Azad Road, Mirza Ghalib Road, and Hasrat Mohani chowk last year and the groundbreaking ceremony was conducted in April.

The junction, which was earlier encroached by hawkers, now boasts of a 25-metre national flag, 41x8ft feet mural of Azad and a 30-seater amphitheatre. The project was designed by renowned architect Hafeez Contractor and executed at a cost of Rs 5.25 crore.

The mural of Azad was created by sculptors Tushar Shinde and Damodar Aware at Vasind. It depicts important milestones in the life of the Bharat Ratna recipient.

Among them is the imagery of Azad making his historic speech at Delhi’s Jama Masjid in 1947, during which he had called the partition a betrayal and prophesized that an independent Pakistan would face foreign debt, internal unrest and armed conflict with neighbours.