The patriotism in our nerves excites us every time when we look at the sculptures and monuments which recalls the sacrifices of our freedom fighters. In this modern era, what else would be the great example except “The Statue of Unity” of our own “Indian Iron Man - Shri Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel”.
This monument is world's largest Statues, located in the State of Gujarat, India and It stands on a river facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The Statue is constructed on a river island named Sadhu Bet, 3.2 km away from Narmada Dam down street. It occupies more than 2 hectares i.e. 4.9 acres and is surrounded by a 12 km long artificial lake formed on the Narmada river.
The Statue is divided into five zones of which only three are obtainable to the public. From its base to the level of Sardar Patel's shins is the first zone which has three levels and includes an exhibition area. Zone 1 contains a memorial garden and a museum. The second zone reaches up to Patel's thighs, while the third extends up to the viewing gallery at 153 metres. 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 tributes. And a connecting audio-visual gallery provides a 15-minute presentation on Sardar Patel and narrates the culture of Gujarat. The lift in this monument can carry 26 people at a time to the viewing gallery in just over 30 seconds. This gallery is located at a height of 502 ft. and can keep up to 200 tourists.
This massive monument depicts the vast contributions of Sardar Patel towards the nation, as he was one of the greatest freedom fighters and politicians we ever had. His contributions into a newly independent India is truly unforgettable. He also worked extensively against alcohol consumption, untouchability, caste discrimination and for women liberation. After Independence, he became India’s first Deputy Prime Minister. On the first anniversary of Independence, Patel was appointed as the Home Minister of India. Sardar Patel’s most lasting legacy was that he took charge of the States Department and was responsible for the accession of 565 princely states into the Union of India. Paying tribute to him, Nehru called Sardar ‘The builder and consolidator of new India”. However, the precious services of Sardar Patel were available to independent India for just 3 years. The heroic son of India died on 15 December 1950 (aged 75), after suffering a massive heart attack and his great sacrifices remained as his glory.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
The Statue of this great man was designed by A Padma Bhushan winning artist Ram V. Sutar, who has designed over 50 monuments in his 40-years career. The Statue was built by over 250 engineers and 3,400 labourers. Larsen and Toubro and state-run Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd. built the Statue, with detailed bronze encasing work done by a Chinese foundry, the Jiangxi Toqine Company. The height of the Statue was fixed as ‘182’ metres to match the total democratic assembly vicinities in the state of Gujarat. The base of the Statue is constructed with over 129 tonnes of scrap iron, donated by nearly 100 million farmers from across India. The Statue is built to withstand wind velocity up to 60 meters per second and earthquakes measuring below 6.5 on the Richter scale. After the attainment, it was disclosed on October 31, celebrating the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel and inaugurated by Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi in Gujarat's Kevadiya. The Statue stands twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty in the United States and its height also surpasses the Spring Temple Buddha in Henan, China, which, at 420 feet was previously the tallest Statue in the world in the massive copper Buddha houses a monastery.
Our Statue of Unity is located 125 miles from the state capital, Ahmedabad will become a nationalist pilgrimage for about 2.5 million visitors every year. Thus, there are many 5 to 3 Star hotel services and tent bookings available near the Statue for tourists with a food court and other fast food options. The Vadodara railway station is the nearest railhead to the Sardar Patel Statue. Tourists can get on public transport or book a cab to reach directly to the site. Also, Rajpipla in the Narmada district is the nearest city to the Statue of Unity, about 25 kilometres away from Sardar Sarovar Dam. People must visit this place as it is the living example of patriotism and a strong virtue of our nation.