Popularly known as The Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel served as the First Deputy Prime Minister of India. In fact, he played a key role as the Home Minister before our independence in 1947. He united all the then-disjointed princely states and integrated into one nation, one country-India.
The tallest statue in the world is known as The Statue of Unity. It is a tribute to his contributions towards the country. The statue is located atop Sadhu Bet Island. At a height of 182 meters, it stands facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam on river Narmada.
The construction
In 2013, the Government collected the soil and iron of the discarded farming equipment from nearly 169000 villages. In three years, 135 metric tonnes of iron was collected and used in the formation of the Statue of Unity.
The architectural marvel with its surrounding occupies the area of 20,000 square meters surrounded by a 12 square km artificial lake. Amongst the most renowned companies, Larsen and Toubro Ltd built The Statue of Unity that cost INR 2989 crores.
The statue is made up of 6500 tonnes of structural steel and 18,500 tonnes of reinforced steel. Moreover, 1700 tonnes of bronze and 1850 tonnes of bronze cladding have gone in the making. An army of over 4,500 designers, architects, global consultants, engineers and workmen have built the gigantic statue.
Interesting Facts – The Statue of Unity
- The statue is constructed from the iron collected from the farmers of different villages. They donated their used farming instruments.
- From the 135 metric tonnes of collected scrap iron, 109 metric tonnes have gone in constructing the foundation.
- Ram V. Sutar, an Indian sculptor designed the Statue of Unity and submitted his design. Further, a team of skilled artists, historians and academics mutually agreed with the design after analysing various statues of Patel across India.
- 1850 tonnes of bronze cladding and 1700 tonnes of bronze plates are used in the outer facade.
- Our Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Statue of Unity on the anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on 31st October.
- The Statue of Unity is a larger replica of the statue installed at the Ahmedabad International Airport.
- The world’s tallest statue can withstand earthquakes measuring 6.5 on Richter scale and winds of up to 180km/h.
- The Statue of Unity was built in the record of the shortest time of 33 months.
- Government of Gujarat has fully funded the project built at a cost of INR 2989 crores.
- The viewing gallery for the statue at 153meters can accommodate 200 people at a time.
- The Statue Core has two high-speed passenger elevators near the legs of the statue which can carry 26 people each. The elevators will take you to the statue’s chest where the viewing gallery is located. It can accommodate 200 tourists at a time.
- The statue is visible from a radius of approximately 7 km.
How to reach there
- By Air- The nearest airport is Vadodara International Airport.
- By Train- The nearest railway station is Vadodara which is 90km away from the Statue of Unity.
- By Road- The Statue of Unity makes for a great road trip destination. The nearest city from the Statue of Unity is Vadodara- 95 km, Ahmedabad-200km and Surat -154km. The nearest village is Kevadia at 3.5km distance.
Entry Ticket Fees
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- For adults- Rs. 120/-
- For children (Age 3-15) – Rs. 60/-
The above ticket includes- Valley of flowers, memorial, museum, audio-visual gallery and Sardar Sarovar Dam.
For the Observation Deck View you will need to buy other tickets as below:
- Adults-Rs. 350/-
- Children-Rs. 200/-
Visiting hours
9:00 AM-5:00 PM from Tuesday-Sunday
Note: The Statue of Unity remains closed for tourists on every Monday due to maintenance work.
You can enjoy the Laser Light and Sound Show from 7:30 PM onwards daily except on Mondays.
What to see
- Viewing Gallery- At a height of 153m, the Viewing Gallery is a centre of attraction amongst the tourists. The gallery offers panoramic views of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, the 200km long water reservoir beyond it and the Satpura and Vindhya mountain ranges.
- Selfie Point- The selfie point is located in close proximity enables visitors to take picture-perfect selfies with the statue in the background.
- High-speed elevators- Two high-speed elevators and a beautiful garden are an added charm to the Statue. The elevator carries 5000 visitors to the viewing gallery. A museum and the light and sound show throw light on the life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is an added bonus.
- Valley of Flowers- Both Satpura and Vindhya hills adjoin the statue and flaunt a new look similar to the ‘Valley of Flowers’. There are almost 100 varieties of beautiful flowers grown in the plantation.
- Chopper Rides – This service is available at the Statue of Unity. The ride costs INR 2,900 per person for 10 minutes and offers panoramic views in a helicopter.
You can even buy souvenirs of The Statue of Unity at their Souvenir shops and Shopping Centre.
It’s a must-visit destination situated in Gujarat that gives an experience for a lifetime. I am visiting The Statue of Unity for sure! Are you?
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