Tallest Statue in the World

Tallest Statue in India – Tallest Statue in the World

India has got a rich cultural heritage of “Unity in Diversity”, the roots of which are indistinguishably founded on the principle of “Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam”, meaning that the entire universe is one family.

At the time of Independence in 1947, India was divided into more than 560 princely states and it was India’s first Deputy Prime Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who with his firm determination, could bring all these princely states under the today’s unified India.

People of India are indebted to him forever for his leadership during the freedom struggle and his Vision, Wisdom and Statesmanship in post-independence era.

His life is a source of inspiration for present as well as future generations of India. In this context this iconic monumental Statue of Unity has been dedicated to the nation on his 143^rd Birth Anniversary.

The Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in India and is also the tallest statue in the world. 

Statue of Unity – Height: 182 Meters (597 Feet)

The Statue of Unity depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and before we learn about the Statue of Unity, let’s try to know something about the Life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

 

Life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Nutshell:
Birth	:	October 31, 1875
Birth place	:	Nadiad Town, Gujarat, India
Early life and School Education	:	Karamsad, Petlad and Nadiad, Gujarat, India
Father	:	Jhaverbhai, a farmer
Mother	:	Laad Bai, a  homemaker
Wife	:	Jhaverba, who passed away at a very early age in 1909
Children	:	Daughter Maniben (Born in 1903); Son Dahyabhai (Born in 1905)
Death	:	December 15, 1950, at Birla House Mumbai, India

1. The Champion of Su-raaj – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played a pivotal role in channelling India's unity. Sardar Patel pursued the practice of “Su-raaj”, meaning Good Governance, as India's first Home and Deputy Prime Minister. Always rooting for unity, he was also instrumental in mobilising the farmer community of India, as well as bringing together various castes and communities to join the freedom struggle. 2.    Young Iron Man – Much before his foray into the freedom struggle one could see the force of his iron will-power in his passionate pursuit of law as a career. Gifted with an ingenious mind, Sardar always wanted to become a barrister. One had to go to England to become a barrister, but having been born in a common farmer's family, he had no financial means to go to England. Such hindrances were never a deterrent for Sardar with steely determination and he always had a way to achieve his dreams. He was self-taught and borrowed books from a lawyer friend to study from home and for practical training, he started attending court sessions to closely observe every argument being made. The young man passed with flying colours and started his practice in Godhra. Later on he left for England in 1910, where he stood first in the Barrister-at-Law examination. He returned to India in 1913. 3.    Independence Struggle Foray – Sardar Patel's foray into the freedom struggle was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi when they met at a meeting in Godhra. They became friends and Patel started following Mahatma Gandhi's activities. Gandhiji was looking for a person to take up the cause of the farmers in his absence and Sardar volunteered. As always, he never did anything half-hearted, and his first step was giving up his well-paying legal practice and joining the non-cooperation movement by switching over to Khadi clothes. The struggle was a resounding success with the British Government agreeing to hold talks with Sardar, and later agreeing to his terms of rolling back the tax rates. From then on, there was no looking back for this Son of the Soil 4.    Sardar's Tryst with Ahmedabad – He was elected Ahmedabad's Municipal President in 1924 and remained till 1928, during which Ahmedabad saw the extension of electricity supply, some major educational reforms, city planning, water supply and distribution systems and several other public welfare schemes. 5. Sardar's Role in India's Struggle for Independence – After the success of the three Satyagrahas, Sardar Patel in 1928 took up issue of arbitrary increase in land taxes and opposed the then British Government on behalf of the farmers in Bardoli. Sardar organised the farmers, told them not to pay a single paisa of tax, and fought the oppression till the British government bowed down. During the Disobedience Movement in 1930, he was arrested on March 7, 1930. Later, he was released and was elected Congress President in the 1931 session in Karachi. In August 1942, the Indian National Congress launched the Quit India Movement, following which Sardar Patel along with many other freedom leaders was jailed for three years. 6.   Building of a United India – After the Indian Independence, some of the Maharajas and Nawabs of the 562 Princely States believed they would become independent rulers of their respective kingdoms, similar to the Pre-British era. They opined that the Government of free India should treat them as equals. It was Sardar Patel's Insight, Wisdom and Diplomacy that finally convinced the Monarchs who agreed to accede with the Indian Republic.

Major Timelines of his Life:

·    He led farmers in various successful Satyagrahas in Kheda 1918, Borsad 1924 and Bardoli 1928. ·        Elected as Ahmedabad’s Municipality President in 1924 and worked till April 1928. ·        Elected as President of the Indian National Congress in 1931 in Karachi Session. ·  Independent India’s first Deputy Prime Minister, Home Minister and Information and Broadcasting Minister. ·        The Architect of United India Post-Independence. ·        Held the charge of Prime Minister of India four times on different occasions till 1950. ·        Charted the Indian Constitution by drafting provisions for important subjects as a Chairman. ·       Posthumously, conferred with “Bharat Ratna” – the highest Civilian Award of The Republic of India in 1991.

About the Statue:

The Statue of Unity depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950), a leading figure in the nonviolent Indian Independence Movement and the first Deputy Prime Minister / Home Minister of Independent India. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is highly respected for his leadership in uniting the 562 princely states of India to form the Union of India. The Statue of Unity is a testimonial to the life of Sardar Patel, a role model of Unity and Statesmanship. The Statue showcases Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s vision on Unity, Patriotism, Inclusive Growth and Good Governance. The Statue of Unity symbolizes national, spiritual, historical and academic values and will lead development of the entire region, which is predominantly a tribal area. The statue is fast becoming one of the country’s top tourist attractions. The Statue of Unity depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the statue was inaugurated on 31st October 2018 to commemorate his 143rd Birth Anniversary.

Construction Details of the SoU:

The height of the Statue of Unity - the world's tallest statue is 182 Meters (597 Feet) which is almost double the height of the Statue of Liberty, USA. The Statue stands on a 58 Meters (190 Feet) Base and the Total height of the Statue is 240 Meters (787 Feet). “Loha Campaign” which is believed to be one of the largest social mobilization drives in the world, was conducted during the year 2013-14 through which a total of 169,078 used farm tools and soil samples were collected from farmers across the country as their voluntary contribution for this iconic project. A total of 134.25 metric tonnes of iron was received from villages across the nation. This iron was converted into reinforcement bars weighing 109.17 metric tonnes and used in the construction of the project. Soil collected from various parts of the country was used to make the symbolic ‘Wall of Unity’. 70,000 Metric Tonnes of cement was used in the construction of Statue of Unity. 6,000 Metric Tonnes of Structural Steel and 18,500 Metric Tonnes of Reinforcement bars were used to build the Statue of Unity. The thickness of the bronze cladding on the Statue is 8 mm. The surface area of about 22,500 square Meters has been clad with around 1,700 Metric Tonnes of bronze. The diameter of the button on the vest of the Statue is 1.1 Meter. The height of the toe of the Statue of Unity measures 3.6 Meter. The Statue of Unity was built in just 46 months. The Statue of Unity has a viewing gallery at 135 Meters, which can accommodate up to 200 visitors at a time and offers a panoramic view of the dam and the surrounding beautiful mountain ranges. Statue of Unity is capable of withstanding wind velocity up to 50 Meters/second (180 Kilometers/hour speeds) and vibration. The statue has been designed for seismic Zone IV as an earthquake resistant structure.

Location:

This tallest statue of the world stands on the isle of Sadhu-Bet in River Narmada, at Ekta Nagar, District Narmada in the Indian State of Gujarat facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam, 3.2 Kilometers away. Country    : India State/Province : Gujarat District : Narmada Location : Ekta Nagar PIN Code : 393151 Latitude    : 21° 50′ 16.8″ N  Longitude : 73° 43′ 08.7″ E There are many other attractive tourist spots in its proximity such as the Valley of Flowers, the Shoolpaneshwar Sanctuary and sacred temple, the Sardar Sarovar Dam and its water dykes, the scenic Zarvani Falls and majestic palaces of Rajpipla.

How to Reach:

City Airport Rail Distance/Time (By Road) Ahmedabad Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport Ahmedabad Railway Station 198 Kilometers / 3 Hours 30 Minutes Vadodara Vadodara International Airport Vadodara Railway Station 91 Kilometers /1 Hour 30 Minutes Surat Surat International Airport Surat Railway Station 156 Kilometers / 3 Hours Ekta Nagar   Ekta Nagar Railway Station 0 Kilometers / 0 Minutes The nearest Airports to the Statue of Unity are Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara International Airports. These airports have international flight paths and connect all major airports globally.

Weather Information:

Sl. No. Month Temperature (In ºC and ºF) Humidity (In %) High Low Average High Low Average 1 January 31º C (87.8º F) 22º C (71.6º F) 26º C (78.8º F) 100 59 88 2 February 32º C (89.6º F) 22º C (71.6º F) 26º C (78.8º F) 99 60 85 3 March 33º C (91.4º F) 23º C (73.4º F) 27º C (80.6º F) 100 50 85 4 April 33º C (91.4º F) 21º C (69.8º F) 28º C (82.4º F) 100 47 80 5 May 33º C (91.4º F) 20º C (68.0º F) 27º C (80.6º F) 98 49 79 6 June 32º C (89.6º F) 19º C (66.2º F) 26º C (78.8º F) 98 50 79 7 July 31º C (87.8º F) 18º C (64.4º F) 26º C (78.8º F) 100 47 78 8 August 31º C (87.8º F) 19º C (66.2º F) 25º C (77.0º F) 98 48 77 9 September 34º C (93.2º F) 20º C (68.0º F) 26º C (78.8º F) 96 36 76 10 October 33º C (91.4º F) 22º C (71.6º F) 28º C (82.4º F) 95 44 74 11 November 33º C (91.4º F) 22º C (71.6º F) 28º C (82.4º F) 99 52 82 12 December 32º C (89.6º F) 24º C (75.2º F) 28º C (82.4º F) 99 55 83

Visiting Hours:

The Statue of Unity opens for the public at 8:00 AM and closes at 6:00 PM from Tuesday to Sunday. The Laser Light and Sound Show can be viewed from 7:00 PM onwards daily, except on Mondays. The Statue of Unity is closed on Mondays for maintenance work. Entry Tickets are available at Shreshtha Bharat Bhavan from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM and at the SoU Ticketing Centre from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM (Bus services operational till 8:00 PM)

Where to stay:

Choice of standard, deluxe and luxury accommodations are available at many nearby places. Tourists can also have food and beverage of their choice at these places. 5-star hotels are also available. Following are some of the places wherein the tourists can get deluxe and luxury accommodation. 1.    Tent City – The Narmada Tent City is a beautiful resort that has a wide range of amenities for visitors including a choice of standard, deluxe and luxury tented accommodation, food and beverage areas managed by a 5-star hotel. 2.    Shrestha Bharat Bhavan (Ramada Encore – A Luxury Hotel Brand) – This hotel is located near the iconic statue. This is managed and operated by a well-known group in the Indian Hospitality Industry. Modern and contemporary in design, the rooms offer beautiful views of the Narmada River, verdant gardens and the poolside. The hotel also facilitates adventure activities around the site to the guests. 3.    The Fern Sardar Sarovar Resort, Ekta Nagar – The Fern Sardar Sarovar Resort is a luxurious resort offering 169 tastefully made rooms with Pool View and the Ekta Railway Station View. It is just opposite to the landmark Ekta Nagar Railway Station. This Resort has 2 restaurants, conferencing facilities, indoor activities, a swimming pool, spa, health club Jacuzzi and outdoor activities. 4.    Rajpipla – Visitors can easily find accommodation of their liking in this Town. 5.    Vadodara – Visitors can easily find accommodation of their liking in this City.

What to visit:

1.    Statue of Unity, Exhibition Hall / Museum and Wall of Unity. 2.    Laser Light and Sound Show – A Light and Sound show using laser technology projected on the Statue of Unity takes place every evening except Monday. In this show the visitors come to know about the history and life of Sardar Patel, his contribution to the Independence Movement and the unification of India through an excellent narration. 3.    Tour of Valley of Flowers 4.    Tour of Sardar Sarovar Dam and its dykes Sardar Sarovar Dam – The Sardar Sarovar Dam is the third highest concrete dam (163 meters) in India. In terms of volume of concrete involved for gravity dams, this dam is ranked as the second largest in the world with an aggregate volume of 6.82 million cubic meter. (First one is the Grand Coulee Dam in the USA with a total volume of 8.0 million cubic meter). This dam, with its spillway discharging capacity of 85,000 cubic meter per second (3 million cubic foot per second), stands third in the world. (Gazenba (113,000 cubic meter per second) in China is first and Tucurri (100,000 cubic meter per second) in Brazil is second). The River Bed Power House is an underground power house stationed on the bank of the river has six turbine generators with 200 Megawatt installed capacity each. The Godbole Gate releases water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam back to the river Narmada, thus sustaining the downstream eco-system. The Head Regulator of Main Canal is 82.6 meters long and has 5 radial gates of size 12.20 meters x 13.50 meters. It is the origin of 458 Kilometers long Narmada Main Canal which is one of the world’s largest concrete-lined irrigation canals. 5.    Boating – Narmada is the largest west flowing river of India, flows into the Arabian Sea. Visitors can enjoy a boat ride on River Narmada. 6.    Sight-seeing of historical Shoolpaneshwar Sanctuary and Temples. Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over an area of 607.70 square Kilometers. It includes a major watershed feeding two major reservoirs with the Rajpipla hills as a backdrop. The thick vegetative ground cover not only provides endless greenery but also a huge habitat to a variety of life forms. The flora of the ecosystem consists of semi-evergreen to moist deciduous forest. There are more than 575 species of flowering plants. The sanctuary is a home to 32 species of mammals, several species of reptiles, 198 species of birds. The sanctuary derives its name ‘Shoolpaneshwar’ from the historic temple of Lord Shiva, which once existed in this region on the banks of river Narmada. The original Shoolpaneshwar Temple was submerged due to the Sardar Sarovar Reservoir. However, a new Shoolpaneshwar temple was later built near Rajpipla. The word ‘Shoolpaneshwar’ refers to Lord Shiva portrayed as having a ‘Shool’ or ‘Trishul’ (Trident) in his hand. Rajpipla is 36 Kilometers away from the Sardar Sarovar Dam. It was once the centre of a princely state and famous for its palaces. Chanod is a city of temples located at the confluence of three rivers Narmada, Orsang and Saraswati and is considered sacred. The temple of Kashivishwanath Mahadev here has very interesting wall paintings. Garudeshwar Mahadev temple – an ancient temple of Lord Shiva is situated on the Northern bank of Narmada River, near the town of Rajpipla is around 2,000 years old. Karnali Bhandari Temple – is said to be around 2,500 years old. At this temple, Lord Shiva is worshipped as Kuber Bhandari. The Karjan Dam – is located on a tributary of River Narmada in Gujarat. It is 903 meter long and 100 meter high concrete gravity dam. The dam is about 10 Kilometers from the town of Rajpipla. 7.    Zarvani Eco-Tourism Area 8.    Bird Watching – Shoolpaneshwar Sanctuary is one such location in India near SoU which provides an excellent opportunity to Bird watching enthusiasts. With the thick forest and the Narmada River, it provides an ideal habitat for birds. A variety of birds like crested serpent eagle, shikra, sparrow hawk, great-horned owl, grey hornbill, red and grey jungle fowls can be spotted here. 9.    Shopping – Visitors can carry back with them several memories by buying mementos in the form of caps, T-shirts, Statue of Unity replica, etc. from the Souvenir Shop located at the premises of the SoU.

Gallery:

Two different views of the Statue of Unity

Tent City	Shrestha Bharat Bhavan (Ramada Encore)

The Fern Sardar Sarovar Resort	Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary

Sardar Sarovar Dam

Safety and Security (By Management of the SoU)

In order to ensure a safe visit for all of SoU visitors, the following security measures have been implemented: ·      Security Screening  Process  ·      Visitors to the Statue of Unity must pass through primary and/or secondary security screening, similar to the Indian airport security procedures, prior to entry at the site. We recommend that visitors should factor in the time to go through the security procedures. ·      Please note that there are no locker storage areas at the screening facility. ·      Only cameras, handbags, and small personal items are permitted. ·      All visitors should keep bags, packages, stroller’s etc. in lockers available at Shreshtha Bharat Bhavan or keep it in their vehicles.   ·      Prohibited Items All weapons, including firearms, knives (including pocket knives and penknives), mace (or pepper spray), any dangerous items, and any “dual-use” items that could be compromise public safety and security are strictly prohibited in the Statue.  Scissors, sharp instruments, and tools are prohibited. Do not carry any of these types of items into the security screening area. Items that are confiscated will not be returned. If you are unsure about an item, please do not carry it. ·      Large packages, suitcases, carry-on luggage and other large parcels will not be permitted inside SoU and in lockers. ·      First aid kit is available near Ticket Counter. ·      Pets are not allowed inside SoU Complex. ·      Although the premise has adequate security we recommend visitors to undertake necessary precautions during the visit. ·      Report any suspicious activity or behaviour you may see at the site. ·      Alcohol and drugs are prohibited on the site.

Dos & Don’ts for the Visitors (By Management of the SoU)

DO’S ·      Be respectful of the local traditions and culture. ·      Visitors can take assistance of Guides for a tour of the Statue of Unity. ·      Take care of your belongings and always keep them with you.   DONT’S ·      Drone cameras are strictly prohibited at the Statue of Unity. ·      Eatables from outside, liquor, umbrellas, tobacco & cigarettes, arms & ammunition of any kind, inflammable objects & substances, wires, tripods, etc. are also prohibited. ·      Pan and Gutkha are not allowed inside SoU premises. ·      Big bags and luggage are not permitted inside SoU.