Vadodara: On Monday, artists from the city approached the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) demanding re-installation of the iconic metallic rhino that had stood tall for decades at Genda Circle.

Ever since VMC replaced the old rustic rhino with a new polished one, the art fraternity in the city, known for being an art hub, has been anguished.The artists submitted a memorandum to municipal commissioner Dilip Rana, mayor Pinky Soni and standing committee chairman Dr Sheetal Mistry. The artists demanded re-installation of the old rustic rhino, sculpted by the late Narottamdas Kavaiya, better known as Narottam Luhar, at its original location.“We have informed the VMC officials that more than 5,000 citizens of Vadodara have signed the online petition – ‘Bring Our Rhino Back’,” said artist Himanshu Joshi, who, along with artist Anuj Poddar, submitted the memorandum.The online petition has been signed by prominent artists, including Padma awardees, art historians, young and senior teachers from M S University’s famed Faculty of Fine Arts, practising artists, prominent architects, industrialists, lawyers, and art lovers.The petition states that the traffic island sculptures like the one at Genda Circle hold not only sentimental value but also high artistic value due to their legacy and craftsmanship. The old rhino sculpture was made from scrap metal from the Sayaji Iron and Engineering Company Ltd (SIECL) plant and remained an iconic landmark in the city.“We propose that an art committee consisting of renowned artists, architects, town planners, and other experts from the city be constituted. This committee would be able to judge the artistic quality of any artwork placed in public spaces in the city,” reads the petition prepared by the artists.