Heartbroken widower replaces his late wife with lifesize marble replica 

A heartbroken widower has replaced his late wife with a marble replica of her – and talks to the statue every day.

Vijay Kumara, 70, from Chandigarh, India, lost his beloved spouse Veena to blood cancer four years ago.

But he has found solace in a life size recreation of her – which  weighs a whopping 157st, and measures 5′ 1″. 

It took six weeks to transform the stone into a lookalike of Veena in her memory – and now serves as a touching reminder of the couple’s marriage.

The figure has been chiselled and painted to resemble her, featuring painted grey hair and pink Indian traditional dress.

It took six weeks to transform the stone into a lookalike of Veena in her memory – and now serves as a touching reminder of the couple’s marriage

Two cranes were needed to transport the model into Vijay’s home. 

Photos show Veena’s statue positioned below a selection of portraits of his late wife as he can be seen embracing her. 

The widower has been so lost without his loved one, he has also written five books in memory of her. 

He says that he wanted to convey the gravity of the love and affection held between wife and husband to today’s youngsters.

And Vijay is not the first to attempt and immortalise his wife in unique ways.

It was in January revealed that an Indian pensioner who lost his wife of 39 years during the Covid-19 pandemic had spent £2,500 (250,000 rupees) on a life-sized replica doll made in her image.

Retired civil servant Tapas Sandilya, 65, commissioned a sculptor to create a silicone statue of his late partner Indrani, who died on May 4, 2021, aged 59.

She passed away alone in hospital as Tapas was forced to isolate at their home in Kolkata during India’s second wave of Covid, which proved far more devastating than the first.

Photos show Veena’s statue positioned below a selection of portraits of his late wife as he can be seen embracing her

The widower has been so lost without his loved one (pictured), he has also written five books in memory of her

A heartbroken widower has replaced his late wife with a marble replica of her – and talks to the statue every day

But now Indrani’s likeness sits on the sofa in her favourite spot, adorned in a sari and gold jewellery with her hair coiffed just so by Tapas himself.

Tapas told The Times of India that some years ago, he had visited a Hindu temple with his late wife and the pair had marvelled at a particularly lifelike statue of a religious figure.

He said Indrani quipped that if she were to die before him, she would like to have a similar statue made in her image.

While grieving in the months following Indrani’s death, Tapas returned to the same temple where his wife had made the comment and was inspired to follow through.

‘Indrani had told me of her desire for a similar statue of her if she happened to pass away before me. I just wanted to fulfil her wish,’ Tapas claimed.

Now the statue sits in Indrani’s favourite spot, arms folded with a serene expression on her face. It is dressed in an Assamese silk sari that Indrani wore to her son’s wedding reception.