The Statue of Unity is the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of the most prominent Indian leaders, who is remembered as the Iron Man of India. Located in the Indian state of Gujarat, it is 182 meters high.
It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who came up with the idea of constructing this huge building. He announced the construction of this statue in the year 2010 which marked his 10th year as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Construction of this architectural marvel however began later, in the year 2014. It took four years to get it into shape. A large number of laborers and architects were employed to construct this statue.
PM Modi inaugurated it on 31 October 2018. The date chosen for the opening ceremony was special. It was the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.
The statue is built on a river island named Sadhu Bet, 3.5 km below the Narmada dam. It is divided into five zones. Of these, the public has access to only three areas. The surroundings add to the beauty of this statue.
The Statue of Unity has become the pride of the nation in no time. It is the tallest statue in the world and is attracting many tourists from all over the world.
Statue of unity light show
Laser and light show Timings
- Open : – Tuesday to Sunday (Monday Closed).
- Laser Light and Sound Show : – From 7:30 PM onwards daily (Monday Closed).
For more information visit official site – https://statueofunity.in/
Reason for making statue of unity
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played an important role in getting the British out of the country and building the nation. It was he who united all the 562 princely states of the country to form the Republic of India. He was known for his strength and determination and was given the title of ‘Iron Man of India’.
PM Modi decided to build a statue of Sardar Patel as a tribute to this great soul. He came up with a plan to build the world’s tallest statue so that Sardar Patel’s contribution to our nation will be remembered not only by Indians but across the world.
By building this statue, he aimed to ensure that the contribution of this eminent leader is in the minds of the people in the years and years to come. It was named, Statue of Unity because Vallabhbhai Patel made a big contribution in maintaining the unity of India.
Talking about the Statue of Unity, PM Modi said, “My vision is to develop space as a source of inspiration for the coming ages”.
When the statue of unity started
Narendra Modi came up with a proposal to build a huge statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He announced the project on 7 October 2010. The project was named, “A tribute to the nation of Gujarat”.
The plan drew support from the public as well as many prominent political leaders. However, tribal people and farmers living in the area opposed the Modi government’s decision. They organized protests, supported by politicians from opposition parties.
Despite criticism and opposition, the construction of the statue finally began in 2014 and many contractors and laborers were hired to carry out the work given to the engineering company L&T. In spite of all the criticism, its construction was completed in 2014. It was inaugurated by PM Modi on 31 October that year.
Run for unity
A marathon called ‘Run for Unity’ was held in Surat on 15 December 2013 to support the Statue of Unity project. Since then, it is held on 31 October each year and is dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
When the statue of Sardar Patel was unveiled in Gujarat on 31 October 2018, Run for Unity was organized in the national capital. Union Youth Affairs Minister and Home Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off the event. About 12,000 people participated in the marathon.
Statue of unity structure
- Known for the monumental structure and elaborate design of the idol dedicated to Sardar Patel. It took a lot of sweat and hard work to build this structure. A team of artists, historians and architects was selected to carry this work forward.
- He studied various statues of Sardar Patel installed in different parts of the country. Finally, the design suggested by the sculptor, Ram V. Sutar, was approved and work began on the construction of this unique statue.
- The Statue of Unity is said to be a replica of the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel installed at Ahmedabad International Airport. It is just that this statue is much larger than this. The total height of the statue is 240 meters (including the base). The base built for the statue is 58 meters. The statue built on it is situated at an altitude of 182 meters. It is the height of this statue that catches attention. It is the tallest statue worldwide.
- The Statue of Unity reflects the strong personality of Sardar Patel. In this statue he is seen wearing a dhoti, with his head held high and a shawl on his shoulders. He has his hands on his arm and is wearing a pair of slippers.
- The height and other measures of the height of the statue have been decided in such a way that it remains intact under adverse climatic conditions. This one-of-a-kind statue can withstand winds of up to 220 km per hour. It can also withstand earthquakes of up to 6.5 on the Richter scale.
- 25,000 tons of iron and 90,000 tons of cement have been used in the construction of this 182 meter tall statue. The idol can be seen from 7 km away. The important fact is that the state assembly seat is kept at the same height as 182. Let us tell you that it is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty (93 meters) of America. While four times higher than Christ the Redeemer Tower of Rio de Janeiro.
- The total expenditure for making it has been Rs 2,989 crore. To reach here, there is a facility of foot lane, four lane highway. Nearby is the 52-room Best Bharat Bhawan 3 Star Hotel. The L&T official said the construction was completed in four phases. Mock-up, 3D scanning technology, computer numerical control production technology. The bottom of the statue is slightly thinner than the top. The top portion is kept wide. Earthquakes and other such disasters were a major challenge for engineers and designers during construction.
- Another interesting thing is that 200 workers of thousands of workers were from China. Since September 2017, he worked in separate batches for two-three months. The statue is colored bronze. The Gujarat CM had earlier directed that its work should be completed by 31 October.
- This statue is twice that of America’s Statue of Liberty. Its length is 182 meters, i.e. 597 feet. The Statue of Liberty is 93 meters in length.
- This statue is built at a distance of 3.5 km from the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River in Gujarat and its length is so long that it can be seen even from a distance of 7 km.
- The total weight of this statue is 1700 tons. Its foot height is 80 feet. Arm height is 70 feet, shoulder height is 140 feet and face height is 70 feet. The statue is built under the supervision of Ram V. Sutar.
- It cost about 3 thousand crore rupees to build this statue. Its foundation stone was laid on 31 October 2013 at the time of Patel’s 138th anniversary. When PM Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. For this, a campaign to collect iron was also organized by the BJP across the country.
- This statue will also be able to stand still in the air moving at a speed of 180 km per hour. In addition, the statue can also withstand earthquakes of 6.5 magnitude.
- Along with Indian laborers, Chinese employees have also contributed to the construction of this statue. About 200 employees have been associated with this project.
- Not only this, a lift has also been installed to reach the Statue of Unity. This lift will reach the statue’s chest. The view of the Narmada River can be seen from there. It has laser lighting. So that night’s night will be different.
- This statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel has been built using a lot of state-of-the-art technologies. 4 metals have been used to make it. It will not rust for years. 85% copper is used in the statue.
- Along with this statue, a valley of flowers has been built on 250 acres. More than 100 types of flowering plants have been planted in it. Also, a tent city has also been made specifically for the people coming here. There are 250 tents, where Gujarati and tribal food will be shown dancing.
