Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday unveiled the statue of Rani Avanti Bai at Ghumka village of Rajnandgaon district. Paying floral tributes to the statue of Rani Avanti Bai, Baghel remembered her sacrifice and saluted her great valour and courage.

Born on August 16, 1861, in the Lodhi Rajput family, Veerangana Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi was the daughter of Jujhar Singh. She was married to Raja Vikramajit Singh of Ramgarh (present-day Dindori). She had two children, Aman Singh and Sher Singh. The children were minors at the time of the death of her husband, so the state powers came to the queen. As a Queen, she efficiently administrated state affairs and when the revolt of 1857 broke out she fought firmly with the British and defeated them many times. On March 20, 1858, she killed herself with her own sword when facing an almost certain defeat in battle and became a martyr.