The Maharashtra government will set up a memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Arabian Sea on the lines of the Swami Vivekananda memorial at Kanyakumari and the Statue of Liberty in the United States.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh told a meeting convened in Mumbai Friday to discus the location of the memorial that would be developed into a tourist spot.

"We feel the memorial should be close to Mumbai and it should not only be a tourist destination, but also serve as an inspiration for the young generation," an official release quoting Deshmukh said.

The meeting was informed that locations at Elephanta, Cross Island, Oyster Rock, Khanderi Underi Island, Backbay and Mahim bay were available for setting up the memorial.

The chief minister accorded top priority to the location between Cuffe Parade and Raj Bhavan in south Mumbai, the release said adding, he gave second preference to Cross Island and Oyster Rock.

The chief minister said he would inspect the probable sites for the memorial.

Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil was among the ministers and senior official present at the meeting.