Statue of Unity – A Masterpiece You Should Not Miss!

India too has come into the clubs of the tallest statues in the world with ‘Statue of Unity’ measuring 182 meters. Dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel also known as ‘Iron Man of India,’ this is the tallest statue in the world.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is considered as the architect of modern India. The Statue of Unity or ‘SoU’ is definitely an inspiration to future generations. It is a reminder for all of his contribution and is a symbol of integrity and national harmony.

History

This project was announced to honor the famous Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on 7^th October 2010 by Narendra Modi at a press conference. The same was done to mark the start of the 10^th year as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. During that time, the project was called as ‘Gujarat’s tribute to the Nation.’ In order to support the construction, a drive was started named – The Statue of Unity Movement. This drive helped in collecting iron by asking the farmers to donate their used and old farming instruments. 136 metric tonnes of iron was collected by 2016, while 109 metric tonnes was used to make the statue foundation.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel – Iron Man of India

You obviously know a lot about the distinguished architect of Independent India – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He is one leader who won over the British leaders in the Satyagraha of Kheda and Bardoli. He united all diverse 562 princely states in order to build the one Republic of India. He played a major role in the country’s struggle for independence. Shri Narendra Modi decided to pay tribute to this renowned leader by building the tallest statue.

Design and Construction of Statue of Unity

This tallest and massive Vallabhbhai Patel statue was designed by Indian sculptor – Ram Vanji Sutar, who is Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee for his immense contribution in the field of arts. This renowned sculptor has created more than 50 monumental sculptures. The statue was created within five years. The design for the statue was submitted after studying a number of statues of Patel all across the country. Ram Sutar, son of Ram Vanji Sutar, commented on the design of the statue saying that the posture, the expression, and the pose justify the confidence, dignity and iron will. Basically three designs measuring 3 feet (0.91 m), 18 feet (5.5 m), and 30 feet (9.1 m) was created. A large and detailed 3D scan was created once the design of the model was approved. This further formed the basis for the bronze cladding cast in a China’s foundry.

Viewing Gallery and Museum

The statue has five zones, out of which only three are open to the public:

The first level involves the base that goes all the way up to the statue’s shins. This comprises of a museum that has a large collection of Sardar Patel’s contributions and a memorable
Zone 2 goes up till the thighs of the statue at 149 meters.
The third level has a viewing gallery, offering expansive views of the Narmada and the beautiful surrounding Vindhyachal and Satpura ranges.
Zone 4 and 5 are the highest levels. This area serves as the maintenance area.

Tallest Statues In and Around the World

Statue	Country	Height
Statue of Unity	India	182 Metre
Spring Temple Buddha	China	153 Metre
Ushiku Daibutsu	Japan	120 Metre
Statue of Liberty	USA	93 Metre
The Motherland Calls	Russia	85 Metre
Christ the Redeemer	Brazil	38 Metre

Interesting Facts about the Statue of Unity

It is a tribute to the Iron Man of India – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
It is the world’s tallest statue with a viewing gallery at 153m.
This world’s tallest statue can endure wind velocity up to 60 m/sec, earthquake and vibration.
One can witness the beauty of Sardar Sarovar Dam and the long reservoir, Vindhya and Satpura ranges.
5 km highway is built to connect the Statue of Unity
The statue has two vertical cores – each of them houses a high-speed elevator for the passenger.
The complex has a separate zone for all the selfie lovers
Statue of Unity is due to generate more than 15,000 jobs for the local tribes’ folks.
It is built in less than five years.

Explore this masterpiece with SOTC’s Gujarat Tour Packages. The packages offered not only helps you experience this masterpiece, up and close but also explore other tourist attractions in and around Gujarat. Go through our India Tour Packages and choose the one that best meets your requirements.

Important Things to Know before heading to witness this marvellous masterpiece:

Statue of Unity opens at 9 am and closes at 5 pm.
Statue of Unity will be closed on Monday
Opening Days – Tuesday to Sunday

Tourists can book the tickets for Statue of Unity either on its official website or by reaching there. The pricing of the same is divided into two categories:

Visitor Type	Entry Ticket	Observation Deck
Adult	INR 120 + INR 30 (bus tickets)	INR 350 + INR 30 (Bus tickets)
Children (below three years)	Free	Free
Children (3 – 15 years)	INR 60 + INR 30 (Bus tickets)	INR 200 + INR 30 (Bus tickets)