London: A six-foot tall statue of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled on Monday in Wales to mark his 148th birth anniversary.  The 300-kg statue, which is made of Indian bronze, is situated at Lloyd George Avenue in Cardiff.

The amount for the memorial, 65,000 pounds (USD 86,222), was raised from three years of fundraising by the Hindu Council of Wales (HCW) as part of its campaign for Wales to get its first statue of Gandhi.

"The memorial will be a tribute to a unique man who epitomises peace, non-violence and tolerance. The iconic figurine will act as a focal point of peace and will help ensure that the legacy of Gandhi lives on for future generations in Wales," the HCW said in a statement.

The statue was unveiled by Indian High Commissioner to the UK YK Sinha, hours after he paid floral tributes at a similar but much older Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Tavistock Square in London. Designed and created by Indian sculptors Ram Sutar and his son Anil Sutar, the effigy depicts Gandhi holding a stick in one hand and the 'Bhagavad Gita' in the other.

The HCW said that the new sculpture at Lloyd George Avenue in Cardiff Bay will become a focal point for the Indian Diaspora in the UK as well as a tourist attraction for international visitors to Wales.

"The HCW hopes his life will inspire the whole society in Wales," it said. The event in Cardiff was also attended by Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones and Gandhi's great-grandson Satish Kumar Dhupelia.

Raj Aggarwal, the Honorary Consul General for India in Wales, said: "This statue shows the important bonds between the two nations of India and Wales and the great relations for the Indian diaspora who have made Wales their home".

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