Jalandhar (Punjab): There was a time when water tanks with footballs and aeroplanes on the rooftops of houses in Punjab were common, which gave the house a distinct identity. Now people are creating different identities for their houses by making different statues on the roof.
A replica of the Statue of Liberty has been constructed by an NRI Dalbir Singh on the roof of his house at the Bajuhan Khurd village in the Nakodar area of Jalandhar. Dalbir Singh used to live in the United States of America and now stays in Canada.
Dalbir Singh's father Santokh Singh said his son lives abroad. "He was keen to have a distinct identity for the house in the village. So he decided to build a replica of the Statue of Liberty on our two-storey house. This type of replica has not been created anywhere in Punjab. Its height is about 20 feet and we needed Rs three lakh rupees for its construction," added Santokh Singh.
Santokh Singh said he is proud of his son for not forgetting his background even while staying abroad.
The replica of the Statue of Liberty is visible from outside the village. Santokh's one son resides in Australia and the other son resides in Canada.
The people of the village also feel proud that a person, who has settled abroad has done something that has given the entire village a different identity.
Balwinder Kaul, the artisan who made this statue, said he started making various water tanks in 1998 and to date has built several artistic water tanks and statues in the Jalandhar district.
According to Balwinder, an order was given by the NRI of Bajua Khurd to build the Statue of Liberty on the roof of his house. "After this, in about three months, this statue was prepared and fitted on the house roof," he added.
According to Balwinder, only the colour work is left, which will be completed soon.
"One thing the whole world knows is that Punjabis can do anything to fulfil their passions wherever they live. The NRIs do not forget their background even after living abroad for several years. Especially in their villages, they have a special hobby of creating a different identity not only for their house but for the entire village by making different statues on the roof," added Balwinder.
The Statue of Liberty, which is in New York in the United States of America, is recognised as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. It was dedicated on October 28, 1886. It was designated as a National Monument in 1924. It is visited by people across the globe.
