Here Are 10 Facts About The Statue Of Unity In Gujarat

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the first Deputy Prime Minister of India, a barrister and statesman, a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and a founding father of the Republic of India. He’s known for playing an important part in uniting India and fighting for its independence. And on his 143rd birth anniversary, PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated a statue of his in Kevadiya.

Considering how, it’s one of the most iconic things that’s been built in India, here are some facts about the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue or the Statue of Unity.

1. The statue has been built at a cost of Rs. 2989 crore.

According to reports, the Statue of Unity is made of 1,40,000 cubic mts of concrete, 18,500 tonnes of reinforced steel rods, 2000 tonnes of bronze sheets. Additionally, an agricultural tool from each of the 700000 villages across India was collected and melted down for use.

2. The statue was first announced in 2010 when Narendra Modi was the CM of Gujarat.

The first foundation stone for the Sardar Patel statue was laid in 2013. It took 33 months and 3000 labourers to be built.

3. The Statue of Unity is designed by Noida-based, Padma Bhushan awardee sculptor, Ram V. Sutar.

Ram V. Sutar has designed over 50 monuments in his lifetime. But he took extra care in the case of this statue so that Sardar Patel’s face was as accurate as humanely possible. For that he went through 2000 photographs of the Iron Man, consulted historians and people who had seen him in person. Also, the statue’s been designed to make it look like Sardar Patel is walking on water towards the Sardar Sarovar dam.

4. India is only second to China in the race for building statues higher than 30 meters.

Apparently, there are 139 statues that are 30 meters or higher in the world. Out of that, 42% have been built by either China or India. China leads this race with 34 statues, while India is at 25. We’ll probably get there one day.

5. The Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in the world.

Sardar Patel will stand at twice the height of Statue of Liberty, which was a gift from France to the United States. At 182m, the Statue of Unity is the world’s tallest statue right now, topping that of the 128m tall Buddha statue in Spring Temple in China. However, that title might be taken by the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue that’s being built in Mumbai.

6. Indian Railways is commemorating the inauguration of the Statue of Unity.

The IRCTC will flag off the Unity Express today from Rajkot on the inaugural occasion of the Statue of Unity. The train will run for a total of 12 days. Its boarding stops will be Rajkot, Surendra Nagar, Viramgam, Sabarmati, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Suratt, Vapi, Kalyan and Pune.

7. The Statue of Unity is built in a way to brave through natural disasters.

It has been built to withstand wind speeds of up to 60 m/sec, which is expected at a height of 182m. In addition to that, it can also withstand an earthquake of up to 6.5 Richter.

8. The Statue of Unity has 2 high-speed passenger elevators, to take tourists to its viewing gallery.

The viewing gallery which is at a height of 153m can accommodate 200 tourists at a time. According to estimates, it will bring 15,000 tourists in a  day.

9. The inauguration ceremony was a gorgeous affair and was attended by many dignitaries of the Government.

The Gujarat government had invited dance troupes from across the country. Air Force planes and helicopters showered flowers on the statue during the unveiling.

10. The construction faced some issues from the locals in Kevadia.

Village headmen from 22 villages located near the statue boycotted the unveiling ceremony and also stated that they won’t welcome PM Modi. They alleged that the construction of the Statue of Unity has led to large scale destruction of natural resources and use of money that could’ve been spent for basic amenities that aren’t available in the villages.

So, now that you know everything about the Statue of Unity, it’s time to pack your bags and pay it a visit and bask in the glory of the tallest statue of the world.

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