London: Mahatma Gandhi's statue in
Tavistock Square has been cleaned as part of a refurbishment
project to restore one of London's finest squares to its
former glory.
Cleaning of the Gandhi statue was funded by the
Indian High Commission.
The statue, which has become one of the major
landmarks in London, was installed in the square in 1968.
The overall cost of the refurbishment was 280,000
pounds, which included repair of railings and four flower beds added.
The square was one of the sites of the 7 July 2005
bomb attacks.
Thirteen people were killed there when a device
exploded on a bus.
The square was developed in the 1820s by the builder
Thomas Cubitt and is part of an estate owned by the Dukes of
Bedford.
The Duchess of Bedford officially opened the
restored square at a ceremony on Saturday.
The event was also attended by local councillors and
representatives of the Friends of Tavistock Square.
A representative of the Indian High Commission of
India also attended.
Tavistock Square's other features include a bust of
writer Virginia Woolf and a cherry tree commemorating the
victims of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, May 22, 2011, 18:41