Statue of Unity - World's Tallest Statue

The Statue of Unity is a colossal statue of Indian statesman and independence activist Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950), who was the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home minister of independent India and the chief adherent of Mahatma Gandhi during the non-violent Indian Independence movement. It is the world's tallest statue with a height of 182 metres (597 ft). The number 182 represents the total democratic assembly constituencies in the state of Gujarat.

Patel was highly respected for his leadership in uniting the 552 princely states of India to form the single Union of India, aptly conferring him the title of "The Iron Man of India". It is located in the state of Gujarat, India, on a river facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam on river Narmada in Kevadiya colony, 100 kms southeast of the city of Vadodara and 150 kms from Surat.

The project was first announced in 2010 and the construction of the statue started in October 2013 by Larsen & Toubro. At the time, the project was dubbed, "Gujarat's tribute to the nation". It took 57 months to complete. The total cost of the project was estimated to be about INR 2,063 crore (equivalent to  US$360 million in 2018) by the government. Over 3000 workers and 250 engineers were involved in the statue's construction. It was designed by Indian sculptor Ram V. Sutar, and was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 October 2018, the 143rd birth anniversary of Patel.

The Statue of Unity is a much larger replica of a statue of the leader installed at Ahmedabad International Airport. The expression, posture and pose justify the dignity, confidence, iron will as well as kindness that his personality exudes. The head is up, a shawl flung from shoulders and hands are on the side as if he is set to walk. The statue is built to withstand winds of up to 180 kilometres per hour and earthquakes measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale which are at a depth of 10 km and within a radius of 12 km of the statue. 

It rises 54 metres (177 ft) higher than the previous record holder, the Spring Temple Buddha in China's Henan province. It is twice the size of Statue of Liberty. The previous tallest statue in India was the 41 m (135 ft) statue of Hanuman at the Paritala Anjaneya Temple near Vijayawada in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The monument is constructed on a river island named Sadhu Bet, 3.2 kms away from and facing the Narmada Dam downstream.

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, 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 contributions. 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 nearest railway station and airport to the Statue of Unity are both located in Vadodara. One can also easily visit the Statue of Unity from Ahmedabad and Surat, with both cities having railway stations, airports, and being within 2-4 hours driving distance from the Statue of Unity.

The Statue of Unity is open from 8 am to 6 pm, and closed on Mondays. On average you can spend the whole day around the Statue of Unity. It's suggested to visit the Valley of Flowers, Sardar Sarovar Dam and other nearby attractions during daylight hours, keeping your visit to the Statue and Museum closer to sunset, and then enjoying the spectacular laser projection on the statue after sunset, depicting the life & times of Sardar Patel. Try visiting between Tuesdays and Fridays, and avoid weekends. Also while official timings say the monument closes at 6 pm, it relates more to entry of new people within the monument. One can easily leave the monument premises at their own convenience, especially as the laser show itself starts near sundown.

A one-day ticket for the monument and Valley of Flowers is Rs. 120 for adults and Rs. 60 for kids between 3-15 years, but this doesn’t include a visit to the viewing gallery on top of the statue, which is available for Rs. 350 for adults and Rs. 200 for children. With a Express Entry ticket, which costs Rs. 1,000 for both kids and adults, there is less wait time for the elevators to the Viewing Gallery. A wait which can be anywhere from a few minutes to hours depending on the rush, without the Express Entry ticket. It’s easiest to book your tickets online and avoid queues at the monument. Head to https://statueofunity.in/ for more details.

The colossal Statue of Unity greets you as you enter the monument area

The world's tallest statue with a height of 182 metres depicts Sardar Vallabhai Patel as if he is set to walk

565 macro and 6000 micro panels made of bronze plates and bronze cladding has gone into the making of the Statue of Unity 

The viewing gallery at the chest area, located at a height of 153 metres (502 ft) which can hold 200 people at a time

The Statue of Unity is attracting over 10,000 visitors every day, with the numbers swelling considerably during weekends & public holidays

The first zone with the gigantic feet of the Statue of Unity

The downstream area of the Narmada river from the Sardar Sarovar Dam, which the Statue of Unity is facing

The spectacular view from the chest area viewing gallery, with the Sardar Sarovar Dam at the end

The chest area viewing gallery

The chest area viewing gallery

Panorama from the viewing gallery

A museum at the base depicts the life of Sardar Patel and his contributions

The valley of flowers area near the Statue of Unity

The valley of flowers area near the Statue of Unity

Statue of Unity as seen from the valley of flowers area

Statue of Unity as seen from the valley of flowers area at sunset

The valley of flowers area contains over 100 varieties of flowers, along with seasonal ones, and the whole area of 3000 hectares is covered with drip irrigation system

Valley of flowers near Statue of Unity

The Sardar Sarovar Dam viewing area - the dam is the world's second biggest dam after the Grand Coulee Dam in USA

At sunset, the Statue of Unity comes alive with spectacular lighting

Did the statue change at night? No! This is the result of the state-of-art laser projection which depicts the life & times of Sardar Patel onto the statue

Plan your visit to the Statue of Unity today!