Plans for a 9ft bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi outside Manchester Cathedral have been approved.
The statue, which will be unveiled in November to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Gandhi’s birth, will be paid for privately by the Kamani Family, founders of Boohoo, in memory of grandfather Bhanji Khanji Kamani.
The commissioning and installation of the project is being organised by Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur (SRMD), a worldwide spiritual movement headquartered in India.
The project is also being supported by Manchester Cathedral, the High Commission of India, and Manchester council, which approved planning permission for the statue.
Designed by Indian artist Ram V Sutar, the statue will mark the 150th anniversary of Gandhi’s birth and will be positioned in the Medieval Quarter, on the right-hand side of Manchester Cathedral.
The statue will be revealed at a ceremony on November 25 - almost a year after a statue of Emmeline Pankhurst was unveiled in St Peter’s Square.
Born on October 2 1869, Gandhi successfully led the campaign for India's independence from Britain.
In 1931, Gandhi briefly visited Manchester on the way to meet workers in textile mills in Lancashire to witness the impact caused by the Indian independence movement's boycott of British goods.
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Following approval of the statue, Manthan Taswala, head of public relations at SRMD UK said: “We are delighted to have received planning approval from Manchester council.
"Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings remain as potent today as when he first said, ‘be the change that you want to see in the world.'
“Following the 2017 Arena attack, Manchester’s unique civic pride displayed the values of non-violence and compassion. We are inspired by the people of Manchester for their strength, decency and community in the face of this unparalleled tragedy.
“The statue of Gandhi will celebrate the universal power of his message. A statue in Manchester will ensure that the heart of our politics and democracy can all be blessed with his ethos.
The statue will be the fifth Gandhi statue installed in the UK, joining others in London, Cardiff, and Leicester.
