India unveils World’s Tallest statue

The World's tallest statue, Statue of Unity, opens for the public at Kevadia. Gujarat on October 31. The statue is designed as a memorial to the Indian freedom fighter, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel also known as the"Iron Man of India". Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the statue on the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, who was also the first Deputy Prime Minister of India.

This 182-meter statue is located on the Sadhu Bet Island on Narmada river and is situated between Satpura and the Vindhya mountain ranges. For Gujarat Tourism, it is another glory that the state boasts of other than Great Rann of Kutch and the Gandhi circuit. As the world’s tallest statue, the Statue of Unity is likely to draw more foreign tourists along with domestic visitors.

Here are some of the interesting facts that you should know about the world’s tallest statue.

1. Statue of Unity is 23 meters taller than China's Spring Temple Buddha statue and double the height of the Statue of Liberty, which is 93 meters tall.

2. The third-highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan recipient, sculptor Ram V Sutar is the man behind this mammoth creation.  Chinese foundry, the Jiangxi Toqine Company (JTQ) has also done exceedingly well in the intricate bronze cladding.

3. The statue is also reckoned to withstand a wind velocity of 60 m/s, tremors and vibrations.

4. It took 33 months, over Rs. 3,000 crores and an army of over 3,000 workers, including 300 engineers from infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to complete this engineering marvel.

5. The statue is covered with 1,700 tonnes of bronze, 1,850 tonnes of bronze, and is filled with concrete cement, reinforced steel, and structured steel.

6. The two high-speed passenger elevators inside the statue will take you up to the chest of the statue, which is also a viewing gallery from there you can get a bird’s eye view of the picturesque vicinity of the Narmada river and its dam. The gallery can accommodate 200 visitors at a time.

7. The statue has been built under the ecosystem of tourism infrastructure that encompasses a three-star hotel for overnight stay, audio-visual gallery, and a museum.

8. The Statue of Unity appears as if Sardar Patel is walking on water towards the Sardar Sarovar dam when viewed from distance.

Visit to the statue has also been made convenient, as the tickets are available both online and on location. Apart from this, the evening is followed up by a 30-minute laser show for the entertainment.

The project has claimed worldwide attention and has become a mark of a strong foundation for India's growing prosperity.