Punjab: In Ludhiana’s Jagraon, atop a modest house sits an unassuming 14-foot miniature Burj Khalifa statue, crowned with a UAE flag to complete the replica look.
A 28-year-old Sukhvir Dhillon commissioned the art piece to pay homage to the country that gave him a stable job and income.
Dhillon, who works as ground staff at Dubai International Airport, was quoted by Khaleej Times as saying that his first job in the country was as a construction worker.
“It’s my tribute to the city that changed my life. I came to Dubai in 2018 as a construction worker. Step by step, I worked my way up. Today I have a steady job, and I’ve managed to build a home for my family back in Jagraon.”
He stated that the mini Burj Khalifa represents his dreams and serves as “a reminder of where I started and what the UAE made possible.”
He has further planned to add lights to the statue to make it look grander. “I want it to shine at night, proper Dubai style. It should be visible from far away,” he added, laughing.
The man behind the 14-foot Burj Khalifa
Dhillon hired Ravinder Singh Devgan, a local artist from Jagraon. His Burj Khalifa statue has made him a local celebrity with an outpouring of orders due to its impressive size and look.
“I’ve never been to Dubai. But I’ve seen enough photos and videos from every angle to feel like I’ve walked around the Burj Khalifa myself,” he said.
Devgan created the structure using lightweight fibre and resin, which is entirely held together by iron rods. He confirmed that the structure is strong enough to withstand strong gusts of wind on rooftops.
According to Devgan, these artistic skills run in his family. “My father, Sohan Singh, drives for a living, but he’s always been good with his hands (to construct). Whatever I can make today is because of him,” he said.
Several houses in rural Punjab use symbolic items to show their identity. Some display the maple leaf to indicate their sons or daughters working in Canada, while others put up cutouts of kangaroos for Australia.
“Kangaroos are fine, but they look odd above a Punjabi house,” said Devgan, for whom “nothing beats the Burj Khalifa.”
While constructing the miniature, he began documenting his journey online. The videos and photos got him a massive fan following.
“I didn’t expect this kind of response,” he said. “After the first Dubai model, more people contacted me. The latest order came from Firozpur.”
Each model, which initially took him approximately six weeks to make, is sold at Rs 55,000. However, now that Devgan has perfected the skill, he takes much less time to make it. The process starts with a clay mould and ends with a fibre-resin casting.
He joked, “Dubai hasn’t seen me yet, but my Burj Khalifa has already made its mark.”
