The Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in the world at a height of 182 meters. The Statue is located on the Narmada river, facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Kevadia Gujarat. The statue depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: The Iron Man of India.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a freedom fighter and a revolutionary leader of India. Patel was the First Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of Independent India. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is known for ‘Uniting India’ as he united the 562 princely states of India.
The Statue Of Unity of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
The Statue of Unity was constructed by India’s largest engineering and construction company Larsen & Toubro. The State Government of Gujarat had assigned the task of constructing the Statue to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET), a trust which was headed by the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
The Statue of Unity cost 2989 crore INR. India’s largest engineering and construction company Larsen & Toubro won the contract for the design, construction, and maintenance of the statue of Unity on 27 October 2014 for its lowest bid of 2989 crore INR.
Statue of Unity collected the Ticket Revenue of 82 Crore INR within the first year of operation. By the end of March 2021, more than 50 Lakh people visited the Statue of Unity.
The Statue of Unity was designed by the noted sculptor and a Padma Bhushan Awardee, Ram V. Sutar. He was the designated sculptor of the statue of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. A Nationwide program called the ‘Loha Campaign’ was launched in the Year 2013-14 and in this campaign, 134.25 metric tonnes of iron were received from villages in India.
The Statue of Unity was constructed in just 46 months and it was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 31st October 2018. The Statue of Unity became the world’s tallest statue leaving behind the Spring Temple Buddha of China which has a height of 153 Metres.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: The Iron Man of India
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was born on 31st October 1875 in Nadiad Town, Gujarat. His father Jhaverbhai was a farmer and his mother Laad Bai was a simple homemaker.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was elected as the President of the Indian National Congress in 1931 in the Karachi session. He became the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of Independent India.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is known as the ‘Iron Man of India’ because soon after the Independence of India Sardar Patel was given the task of unifying the princely states of India to form a United India. Many of the Maharajas and Nawabs of the Princely states wanted to become Independent states.
It was Patel’s wisdom and diplomacy that helped him to unite the 562 Princely States of India to form United India. He had the power to use diplomacy or the military as per the need of the time. Sardar Patel with his true determination and courage integrated the 562 Princely States to form Independent India.
He completed the assigned task of National Integration with his determination and courage, which earned him the title ‘Iron Man of India’. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel died due to a heart attack on 15th December 1950, at Birla House Mumbai. He died at the age of 75 years.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was conferred with Bharat Ratna (Highest Civilian Award) in the year 1991 Posthumously by P. V. Narasimha Rao Government. The Birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on 31st October is celebrated as National Unity Day.
The Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in the world that depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel located in Kevadia Gujarat. The Statue of Unity was constructed in just 46 months and it was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 31st October 2018.
Statue of Unity Tourist attraction
The Statue of Unity has various other tourist attraction spots like Theme-based gardens, Ecotourism, Adventure Sports, Night Tourism, and various other infotainment and entertainment activities for tourists.
Theme Based Gardens
The Herbal Garden (Arogya Van): Ayurveda is the oldest form of the medical system in the world which means the Science of Life. Ayur means ‘Life’ and Veda means ‘Knowledge’ or ‘Science’ together Ayurveda means the Science of Life. Ayurveda uses ‘Medicinal Herbs’ for treatment and therapies for the cure.
Keeping in mind the importance of our Medical System-Ayurveda, The Herbal Garden (Arogya Van) is developed near the Statue of Unity. The Herbal Garden is spread over an area of about 17 acres and the goal behind developing this garden is to raise awareness among the people about Yoga, Ayurveda, and Meditation.
Read About: Adiyogi: The Source of Yoga, Types and Benefits of Yoga
The Herbal Garden (Arogya Van) has a 3D structure of a human body in a resting posture called Aushadh Manav. The human organ of that 3D structure is represented by a medicinal plant that is beneficial for that particular organ.
Butterfly Garden: The butterfly garden is developed along the banks of the Narmada river in an area of 10 acres which has 150 species of nectar plants and larval host plants. The butterfly garden has more than 70 species of butterflies.
The garden has been developed in such a way that it can create a natural environment for butterflies and give them a habitat to proliferate. Suitable places have been developed in the garden for butterflies to lay eggs and host plants for caterpillars to grow.
Cactus Garden: The cactus garden is a botanical garden that has 6 lakh plants of 450 species. The cactus garden is spread over an area of 25 acres of open land and the dome has an area of 836 square meters.
The Valley of Flowers: The Valley of flowers is also known as Bharat van which is spread across 24 acres of land. The Valley of Flowers had 48 thousand plants in the year 2016 and now it has 22 Lakh plants. Valley of Flowers has more than 300 types of flowers in the garden.
Ecotourism at the Statue of Unity
Ecotourism is tourism along with nature with the responsibility of conserving the natural environment. Ecotourism is one of the tourist attractions at the Statue of Unity where tourists can spend some time in the natural environment.
Treehouses and tents are available for the accommodation of tourists. Tourists can go for adventure sports like River Rafting, Trekking, and Rock Climbing. Various other activities include cycling along with forest, botanical exploration, bird watching, etc.
Adventure Sports at the Statue of Unity
River rafting was first started on 17th August 2019 at Khalwani situated in Kevadia near the Statue of Unity by the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Narmada river has a dedicated 4.5 KM stretch for river rafting activity for adventure sports enthusiasts.
A boat ride in Panchmuli Lake in Kevadia near the Statue of Unity was initiated by the Gujarat State Forest Development Corporation Ltd. (GSFDC). Each boat ride is for 45 minutes and the tourists can enjoy the natural environment around Panchmuli Lake.
Cycling through Kevadia-Tourists can go for cycle rides at khalwani for a family-friendly cycling tour and at Zarwani for uphill cycling for more thrill-loving people. Cycle ride price at Khalwani per guest is 350 Rupees and tandem cycle for a couple is priced at 550 Rupees while cycle ride at Zarwani will cost you 1000 Rupees.
Helicopter ride at the Statue of Unity
The Helicopter ride facility is also available at the Statue of Unity through which tourists can get an aerial view of the Statue of Unity, Sardar Sarovar Dam, Narmada river, and the hills of Satpura and Vindhya. The helicopter ride will cost 2900 Rupees per ride of 10 minutes.
How to reach the Statue of Unity?
The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi inaugurated Kevadia Railway Station and also flagged off 8 trains connecting to the various regions of India to Kevadia on the 17th of January 2021. Kevadia railway station is the nearest railway station to the Statue of Unity.
The nearest airports to the Statue of Unity are Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara International Airports which connect to all major airports globally.
Once you reached any of the Airports you can either go to the Statue of Unity by Road Transport or can opt for Railways. From Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodra direct trains are available to Kevadia Railway Station.
Ticket prices for the Statue of Unity and how to book the tickets?
Tourists can book tickets for the Statue of Unity by visiting the website http://www.soutickets.in and they should have a look at the Important Instructions. The Statue of Unity site entry opens at 8:00 Am and closes at 6:00 PM and the projection mapping show starts at 8:00 PM sharp.
Ticket window Timings at the Statue of Unity at Shrestha Bharat Bhawan (Near Ramada Encore) / Swagat Sthal (Tourist Information Centre) opens at 7:30 AM ad closes at 5:00 PM for the Entry Ticket and Viewing gallery.
Ticketing at Statue of Unity Ticketing Centre (Inside SOU Complex) opens at 7:30 AM and closes at 5:30 PM for the Entry Ticket and Viewing gallery.
Ticket prices at the Statue of Unity are being charged as per the Services/Attractions tourists opt for but the Basic Entry Ticket at the Statue of Unity will cost 150 Rs for adults and 90 Rs for children between the age group of 3-15 years. Basic Entry ticket will cover the gallery, museum, light and sound show, Sardar Sarovar Dam, the valley of flowers, and bus service for the above places.
Viewing Gallery Ticket will cost 380 Rs for adults and 230 Rs for children which will include all the facilities of Basic Entry. If the visitors want to avoid the queue then they can get the Express Entry Ticket which will cost 1030 Rs per head.
Ticket prices for the Foreigners at the Statue of Unity are 1530 Rs for adults and 830 Rs for children and this ticket will be an Express Ticket means they will not have to stand in the queue.
Comparison between Statue of Unity and Statue of Liberty
Location: The Statue of Unity is located on the Narmada river, facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Kevadia Gujarat, and depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel while the Statue of Liberty is located on the New York Harbor’s Liberty Island in New York City.
Represents: Sardar Patel Statue represents the Unity of India because he was the one who united the 562 princely states of India while the Statue of Liberty represents the freedom and democracy of the USA.
Construction Time: Sardar Patel’s Statue was built within 46 months and was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 31st October 2018 while the Statue of Liberty took almost 10 years to build and was inaugurated on 18th October 1886.
Height: The Statue of Unity is the Tallest Statue in the world with a height of 182 Metres while the Statue of Liberty has a height of 93 Metres.
Tourism: The daily average tourist footfall at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Statue in November 2019 reached 15,036 while the Statue of Liberty attracts around 10,000 daily visitors on average.
Conclusion
The Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in the world at a height of 182 meters. The Statue is located on the Narmada river, facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Kevadia Gujarat. The statue depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel-The Iron Man of India.
The Statue of Unity has various tourist attraction spots like Theme-based gardens, Ecotourism, Adventure Sports, Night Tourism, and various other infotainment and entertainment activities for tourists.