On 30th of October 2018, India became the bearer of the world’s tallest statue – Statue of Unity. It is situated in Gujarat and only about 90 kms from my house
I couldn’t hold the excitement and as soon as the swarming subsided in few months, I paid a visit to the Statue of Unity.
The statue faces the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river and stands strong on a river island called Sadhu Bet. Therefore, it started being visible from the far while crossing the bridge.
Facts and figures behind the Statue of Unity:
- It is a monumental statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- Height: 182 m (597 ft)
- 182 m height was decided because there are 182 seats in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly
- Designed by an Indian sculptor Ram V. Sutar
- Started in 2013 and completed in 2018
- Inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31st October 2018, on the day of 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- The core of the statue is made up of cement concrete, structural steel and reinforced steel
- The facade is made up of bronze panels
Why the name “Statue of Unity”?
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was one of the most prominent leaders of the Indian independence movement.
He was the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India.
His uncompromising work towards approaching almost all of the 565 princely states and persuading them to integrate with India to make a one whole united, independent nation, earned him the titles like “Iron Man of India” and “Unifier of India”.
Therefore this colossal statue dedicated to him is aptly known as the “Statue of Unity”.
How to reach:
By Road: 90 Kms (~2hours) from Vadodara City
Nearest Airport: Vadodara Airport
Nearest Railway Station: Vadodara Junction and Bharuch Junction
Exploring the statue:
There is a long walking pathway between the patches of lawn that leads to the statue. The complete statue is divided into five zones. From these, only three are accessible to public.
The ground floor, that is, Zone 1, comprises of the museum. Lots of images, stories and audio-visual that explains the life and contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel can be seen in this zone.
Two elevators from Zone 1 goes to Zone 3 in mere 30 seconds. Zone 3 is a viewing gallery which is at 153 metres. Gorgeous views of the surrounding area can be seen from here. I witnessed an amazing sunset from this gallery.
There are also few escalators from the ground floor on the outside which goes till the feet of the statue. That is when you realize how huge the statue is and how difficult the construction would have been. This is my picture here, to have an exact idea of the vastness of the statue.
Light and Sound Show:
The timings of the laser show depends on what time the night falls in. But, let me tell you that this is something that should not be missed.
The show goes on for about 23 minutes. It shows the life story of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in a very creative way. It also shows his bravery and commitment towards creating an independent and diverse nation of India, making every Indian proud.
I can only say that watching the whole show gave me goosebumps. At the end of the show, the loud claps, cheerful hollering and the proud faces of everyone present there was such delightful to watch.
It really teaches us how much the freedom fighters like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had sacrificed for our nation and now, it is our responsibility to stay united, stay one and live peacefully together.
This message is not only for Indians, but we all, being the global citizens should work hard to make our world a peaceful place to live in for our future generations.
Video:
Everything I mentioned is summed up in a short video here. Also, catch a glimpse of the light and sound show at the end of the video.
Hope you enjoyed reading this. Please react and share the article and also leave a comment below to let me know your views.
💛 Love and Peace ✌
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