Name: Statue of Unity
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Statue of Unity, Gujarat Overview

Statue of Unity is a memorial to The Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The statue has been erected to propagate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's vision of India and to inspire the Citizens of India through his patriotism and freedom struggle. The Bronze statue of the founding father of the Republic of India stands 182 metres tall grabbing the attention of the whole world as the 'Tallest statue in the World'. The statue of Unity is Located in Gujrat, by the banks of River Narmada on the River Island of Sadhu Bet overlooking the Narmada Dam (Sardar Sarovar Dam) from 3.2 km away.

The Statue of Unity will be well connected via expressways, improved rail system and helipads for the convenience of visitors. The surrounding of the statue is proposed to be a haven for clean Industries, Research facilities and educational institutions to improve the economic integrity in and around the region.

Highlights of the Statue

The monument compound is expected to get a 3-star hotel Shrestha Bharat Bhavan which is supposed to be a bridge between developing India and an environmentally conscious India. To increase the beauty of the surroundings by multiple folds, the 'Statue of Unity' will be accompanied by the 'Valley of Flowers' which was inaugurated on the same day as that of the Statue.

The Valley of Flowers is a product of the INR 12 crore exclusive grant. There will be a Museum, an Audio Visual hall to depict the life and struggles of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and a laser show on the Unification of India. The Monument will be providing Ferry services to reduce the traffic and effects on the environment due to vehicular pollution.

One of the main attractions of the Statue will be the viewing gallery integrated into the statue that can be reached by a heavy load lift with a panoramic view of the surroundings from an astounding height of nearly 400 feet.

About The Project

The monument compound is spread across 20,000 square metres, surrounded by a 12 km artificial lake. The project was carried out by a Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET) which was established for this purpose.

The magnanimous Statue is designed by the Indian Sculptor, Padma Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar. The construction of the final product was taken up by the Indian company Larson & Toubro and the total project was estimated to have cost 3000 Crore INR (420 million USD).

The Iron needed for the project was supposed to be collected from the used farming equipment from farmers all around the nation, who were the most cared by Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. Due to some problems, nearly 5000 tonnes of iron collected was used for a different part of the same project but not the statue.

Along with the project in progress, SVPRET's Statue of Unity Movement organised the Suraaj Petition which included the ideas for good governance by the people and resulted in becoming the world's largest signed petition. These were some of the other essential features of the project.

Important Dates

The project was announced in 2010 by the Gujrat Government, and the foundation stone to the project was laid by the former Chief Minister of Gujrat and the present Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 31 October 2013 on the 138th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The construction of the Statue of Unity was completed on 22 October 2018. The Statue of Unity will be inaugurated on 31 October 2018, on the occasion of the 143rd Birth Anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Started on: 31 October 2013
Completed on: 22 October 2018
Inaugurated on: 31 October 2018

How to Reach

The site of the Statue of Unity is about 90 km away from Vadodara and can be reached via State Highway 11 and State Highway 63. If you are coming from Mumbai, go north via the NH48 and change to SH64 near Mulad, but the journey from Mumbai via road will be about 420 km long.