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Why was it Built? – The Statue of Unity is a memorial to the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and built to inspire the people of India through his patriotism and vision of unified India.
Location – Its actually built on an island! The Statue of Unity is built on Sadhu Bet (Island) situated in the Narmada River and about 3.2 km away from the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujrat.
How tall is the tallest? – Towering over other statues of the World, the Statue of Unity is 182 meters tall and on October 2018, became the highest statue in the world. To put it into perspective, it’s twice the height of the Statue of Liberty (93m), and thrice the height of the Christ De Redeemer (39.6m). Before it, the Spring Temple of Buddha (153m) had that title.
That’s a lot of Material! – 5,700 tonnes structural steel, 25,000 tonnes of iron and 90,000 tonnes cement have been used in the statue, 1,850 tonnes of bronze cladding is also used that is made up of some 565 macro & 6,000 micro panels.
OMG! How Much? – The Government of India spent about INR 2989 to build this statue.
The genius behind it – The statue was designed by Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee, Ram V. Sutar and undertaken by Larsen & Turbo. A Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET) which was established for this purpose.
How strong is it? – The statue is designed to resist the wind velocity of more than 60 meters/second. It can also withstand vibrations and earthquakes up to 6.5 on the Richter Scale.
Do people actually visit the statue? – The Statue of Unity has been operational for 232 days, and has witnessed an average daily footfall of 8,347 people according to a RTI report. Further it has generated a revenue of ₹52.9 crores during a 9-month period from November 2018 to July 29, 2019.
What to do there – Visit the Museum and Audio Visual Hall to know the struggles of Sardar Vallabhai Patel. Experience a magnificent laser show on the unification of India. Get mesmerized by the panoramic view of the surroundings from nearly 400ft. high viewing gallery integrated into the statue. The whole project involves a 3-star hotel named Shrestha Bharat Bhavan providing the facility of 52 rooms.
Travel Tips: Entry Fee: Without the access to Observation Deck: Adults – INR 120 per person | Children – INR 60 per Child. With the access to Observation Deck: INR 350 per person for Adults and Children.
Timings: 9 AM to 6 PM. Closed on Mondays. How to Reach: The site is about 90 km away from Vadodara and can be reached via State Highway 11 and State Highway 63. If you are coming from Mumbai, go north via the NH48 and change to SH64 near Mulad, but the journey from Mumbai via road will be about 420 km long.
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