Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat’s Narmada district on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on Wednesday; will be open for public from 1 November. The 182-meter (600 feet) statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is touted as the world’s tallest. The statue stands on Sadhu island on the Narmada in Gujarat and is said to be twice the height of the Statue of Liberty in the US and surpasses China’s Spring Temple Buddha statue, whose height is 153 meters, as the world’s tallest statue.
Addresses the gathering Modi said, “Events like today are very very important in a country’s history and such events are difficult to erase. It is a historic and inspiring occasion for all Indians. I am fortunate to dedicate this statue of Sardar Sahab to the nation.”
Ram Vanji Sutar (93), a Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri recipient sculpted the Statue of Unity
Facts about the ‘Statue of Unity’ :
The foundation stone for the project was laid in 2013. It took about 250 engineers and 3,400 labourers to construct the statue in 42 months. Iron was collected from all over the country for the statue of Sardar Patel, also known as the Iron Man of India. 77,000 tonnes Concrete was used and 5,700 tonnes Steel for was used to build the framework. 1,850 tonnes of Bronze sheets were also used.
The height of the towering statue was decided to be 182 metres.
The height of the viewers’ gallery is 153 meters and it can accommodate up to 200 people at a time and offers a magnificent view of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, its reservoir, and the Satpura and Vindhya mountain ranges.
The sculptor scanned 2000 photos of Sardar Patel to finalise the design of the face of the statue.