Ceat and BMC to replace iconic Nariman Point baby head sculpture with stone elephant

The iconic 10-foot painted fibreglass baby head sculpture at the Nariman Point Traffic Island in Mumbai is being removed to make way for a new public artwork. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) granted permission for the replacement in February after Ceat Limited, an RPG Company, presented a concept note to the civic body's garden cell.

The new contemporary sculpture, which is inspired by the historic stone elephant of Gharapuri (Elephanta) Island, will be funded by Ceat Limited under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. The company previously installed the original baby head sculpture at the site in 2014. According to a BMC officer, the new project will cost approximately Rs 1.5 to 2 crore.

The original 2014 artwork was known for juxtaposing classical miniature iconography with scenes of contemporary Mumbai life, including the 26/11 terror attacks. The upcoming installation aims to offer a fresh artistic vision that reflects the history and modern expansion of the city.

According to the project's concept note, the new artwork will feature a truncated, monumental elephant body carved and assembled from basalt and other stones. This portion of the sculpture, standing five to six feet tall, is designed to evoke the materiality of the original displaced historical elephant and the geological foundations of Mumbai.

Leaning against the stone elephant, a rigid vertical tower measuring 12 to 15 feet tall will rise. Constructed from heterogeneous stone slabs and interspersed with commercially consumed metals, the tower is designed to reference the rapid vertical growth and material appetite of modern Mumbai.

In total, the new sculpture will have an overall width of 8 to 10 feet and a thickness of 4 to 5 feet. The entire structure is expected to weigh between 20 and 30 tons.