Statue of unity

The statue of Unity, dedicated to 'Iron Man of India' Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, is situated on an islet near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Kevadiya, Gujrat. The Idea of this project was to give a tribute to Sardar Vallabhai Patel Sardar who is known as the architect of independent India, as he united all diverse 562 princely states to build one great Republic of India.The ambitious project was announced in 2010 by the then Chiefminister of Gujrat Mr.Narendra Modi and a special purpose vehicle was set up by the state government for its construction.

25,000 tons of steel, 3,550 tons of bronze and 210,000 cubic meters of cement and concrete — towering over the world was built at a cost of Rs. 2,989 crore, at a height of 182 metres it is nearly twice the height of Statue of Liberty in United States and also taller than Spring Temple Buddha, China (153 metres) and UshikaDaibustum Japan (120 metres).

The significance of the project is that donated old steel articles of farmers across India were collected and little soil from various districts and regions of India were also made a part to build this statue to signify the spirit of Unity of the nation.

The statue is divided into five zones of which only three are accessible to the public. From its base to the level of Patel's shins is the first zone which has three levels and includes an exhibition area, mezzanine and roof. Zone 1 contains a memorial garden and a museum. The second zone reaches up to Patel's thighs at 149 metres, while the third extends up to the viewing gallery. Zone 4 is the maintenance area while the final zone comprises the head and shoulders of the statue. The museum in zone 1 catalogues the life of Sardar Patel and his contributions. An adjoining audio-visual gallery provides a 15 minute presentation on Patel and also describes the tribal culture of the state.

The concrete towers which form the statue's legs contain two elevators each. Each lift can carry 26 people at a time to the viewing gallery in just over 30 seconds. The gallery is located at a height of 153 metres (502 ft) and can hold up to 200 people.

The Statue was inaugurated and dedicated to the nation on 31st October 2018 by Honourable Prime Minister of India marking the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel. It was open for the public on 1st November 2018. It is seen as one of the major tourist attractions in India with huge number of People visiting to View the statue