Statue of Unity – a tribute to tallest and grandest iron man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel!

The Statue of Unity is an Indian historical memorial as the world’s tallest and grandest statue which is dedicated to the Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a legendary Barrister, Politician, Activist, Freedom Fighter, former deputy prime minister of India and Indian Independence Movement leader who won over British leaders in the Satyagrah of Kheda and Bardoli and he was the Bismarck of Modern India, who led the welfare of farmers. He is legendary as the architect of independent India, as he united all diverse 562 princely states to build one great Republic of India. Shri Narendra Modi decided to pay honorable homage which will be cherished for centuries by the whole world and it will become a matter of pride for every Indian for this great man. Built in less than five years, it is the world’s tallest, grandest and giant statue. It is a tribute to the man who united India, Iron Man Sardar Patel.

The Statue of Unity is located on the Sadhu Bet Island, near Rajpipla on the Narmada River, the Statue of Unity is located between the Satpura and the Vindhya mountain ranges. A 3.5 km highway will be used to connect the statue to Indian state Gujarat’s Kevadia town.

The memorial along with its surroundings occupies over 20,000 square metres, and is surrounded by a 12 square km artificial lake. It is the world’s tallest statue with the height of 182 metres (597 ft).

This ambitious project was contracted to Larsen & Toubro in October 2014 for its lowest bid of Rs. 2,989 crore (US$420 million) for the design, construction and maintenance. The construction was begun on 31 October 2014 and completed in mid-October 2018.

It was designed by Indian sculptor Ram V. Sutar and was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, honourable Narendra Modi, on 31 October 2018 on the birth anniversary of Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

 

 

Facts, History and significance of the Statue of Unity:

1. The monument statue represents Indian independence movement greatest leader and the first Deputy prime minister of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel which is constructed facing the Narmada Dam, 3.2 km away on the river island called Sadhu Bet.
2. The total height of the statue of unity from its base will be 240-metre consisting base level of 58 meters and statue of 182 meters. The Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in the world. At 182 metres, it is 23 metres taller than China’s Spring Temple Buddha statue and almost double the height of the Statue of Liberty (93 metres tall) in US.
3. The project was first pronounced on 7 October 2010. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET), a special purpose vehicle was established by the Gujarat government for construction of the statue.
4. The iron required for the statue and other structures was to be collected from farmers of villages all around India in a form of a donation of their used farming instruments. The drive was named the ‘Statue of Unity movement’. Three months long nationwide campaign collected 5,000 tonnes of iron.
5. The Statue of Unity is constructed with steel framing, reinforced cement concrete, and bronze cladding. The statue required 75,000 cubic metres of concrete, 5,700 tonnes of steel structure, 18,500 tonnes of reinforced steel rods, 22,500 tonnes of bronze sheets for construction.
6. The statue is designed as a portrayal of Vallabhbhai Patel, wearing distinctive garments, in a walking stance.
7. It took 56 months to complete the project; 15 months for planning, 40 months for construction and two months for handing over by the consortium.
8. The statue was built on a Public Private Partnership model, with most of the money raised by the Government of Gujarat.
9. The then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi, (presently the Prime Minister of India) laid the foundation stone of statue on 31 October 2013, the 138th birth anniversary of Vallabhbhai Patel.
10. In the first phase of Rs. 2,989 crore (US$420 million) project, Rs. 1347 crore are for the main statue, Rs. 235 crore for exhibition hall and convention centre, Rs. 83 crore for the bridge connecting the memorial to the main land and Rs. 657 crore for the maintenance of the structure for 15 years after its completion. The monument is designed by Padma Bhushan recipient sculptor Ram V. Sutar and intricate bronze cladding work was done by a Chinese foundry, the Jiangxi Toqine Company (JTQ).
11. The statue will be able to withstand wind velocity up to 60 m/s, vibration and earthquakes.
12. It was inaugurated on 31 October 2018 by Indian Prime Minister honourable Narendra Modi.
13. The observing galleria for the statue, at 153 metres, can accommodate 200 people at a time and offer a sprawling view of the Sardar Sarovar Dam.
14. The statue is a three-layered construction. The innermost layer is made of reinforced cement concrete (RCC), comprising two towers 127 metres high that rise till the statue’s chest. The second layer is a steel structure and the third an 8 mm bronze cladding on the surface.
15. The RCC towers, which at the bottom form Patel’s dhoti-clad legs, have two lifts each. Each lift can carry 26 people to the top in just above half a minute.

 

 

Statue of Unity tour timings and tickets booking:

The Statue of Unity is open to the public from 1^st November 2018 on all days of the week from 9 am to 6 pm. Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd, which is maintaining the Statue of Unity, has made it easier for you to book tickets. You can either book them on the spot or take the online route as log on https://www.soutickets.in.

 

Online ticket booking for the Sardar Patel statue is open from this Saturday. For kids below the age of 3, entry is free and for all others, including adults and kids above 3, tickets are priced at Rs 350 per person. It includes entry to the observation deck, valley of flowers, the Sardar Patel memorial, museum and audio-visual gallery, the Statue of Unity site and Sardar Sarovar dam.

There is a cheaper option as well. For a basic entry ticket, which includes a visit to the valley of flowers, the Sardar Patel memorial, museum and audio-visual gallery, the Statue of Unity site and Sardar Sarovar dam, adults are charged Rs 120. For children aged below 15, the ticket price is Rs 60.

 

 

Accommodations facilities for the Statue of Unity:

The Gujarat government has developed two tents cities in Kevadia town. One city has 50 tents and another city has 200 tents. Beside it, there is 3 star hotel with 52 rooms with good facilities on distance of 3 km from the Statue of Unity.

 

 

How to reach the Statue of Unity:

The nearby town from the Statue of Unity is Narmada district’s Kevadia, just 3.5 km away. This is now being connected through a highway. Making the journey more pleasant is a valley of flowers along the road. If you are coming via Ahmedabad, then you will have to cover a distance of 200 km to reach the spot. The distance from Vadodara (Gujarat) to Statue is 89.4 km, from Ahmedabad (Gujarat) to statue is 197 km and Ankleshwar (Gujarat) to statue is 89.2 km.

You can reach Kevadia town in Narmada district of Gujarat by road. There is a good highway to reach the Statue of Unity which is just 3.5 km away from Kevadia town.

For joy ride, there is a bridge to reach the statue from the mainland, the best way to reach Sadhu Bet island is to take a boat ride.

 

 

Google Map from Vadodara to The Statue of Unity Route:

 

Other worldwide famous tallest statues:

1. Statue of Unity – India (182 Metres)
2. Spring Temple Buddha – China (153 Metres)
3. Ushiku Daibutsu – Japan (120 Metres)
4. Statue of Liberty – USA (93 Metres)
5. The Motherland Calls – Russia (85 Metres)
6. Christ The Redeemer – Brazil (38 Metres)