The World’s Tallest Statue – "The Statue of Unity"
“There were many who used to think that a diverse country like India can never remain united. It will fall apart. But, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel showed how it is done. We should learn how to grow from strength to strength, how to always stay united.
Sardar Patel used Kautilya's wisdom and Shivaji Maharaj's bravery to achieve the great feat of uniting India after partition. He did something unparalleled. From Kutch to Kohima, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Sardar Patel united the country.
It is because of him that we can travel to all the great sites and meet the great people of all the states within India without a visa” – Narendra Damodardas Modi
On 31st October 2018, marked the inauguration of the world’s tallest statue – the Statue of Unity, which is dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the architect of Independent India. The massive monument is placed over River Narmada as a tribute to India ‘from the people of Gujarat’ to the leader who placed people’s welfare first. The Statue of Unity fails to notice the vast surroundings and the river basin of the Narmada River and the stretched Sardar Sarovar dam. It stands on the Sadhu Bet hillock, connected by a 300-meter bridge, which offers access from the mainland to the statue.
182-meter tall Statue of Unity began in 2013 and got completed in 2018 costing nearly Rs 3,000 crores. The Statue of Unity is twice the size of the Statue of Liberty in the United States, standing at the height of 597 feet or 182 meters above ground level, and 0% taller than China’s Spring Temple Buddha.
The Statue of Unity is built by over 250 engineers and 3,400 workers using 70,000 tonnes of cement, 18,500 tonnes of reinforcement steel bars, 6,000 tonnes of structural steel, and 1,700 metric tonnes of bronze. Larsen and Toubro and state-run Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd built the statue, with complex bronze cladding work done by a Chinese foundry, the Jiangxi Toqine Company.
The height of the statue was fixed as ‘182’ meters to match the total democratic assembly constituencies 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.
The statue depicting Sardar Patel wearing a traditional dhoti and shawl, looking out towards the world as a commanding yet humble, unfazed, and unafraid leader is designed by Padma Bhushan-winning sculptor Ram V Sutar, who has designed over 50 monuments in his 40-year career.
The statue has been built as a tribute to the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first home minister of independent India. He was responsible for uniting all 562 princely states of the country to build the Republic of India.
There is a Light and Sound show that takes place every evening except Monday using laser technology projected on the Statue of Unity. The colorful laser lighting system is accompanied by an excellent narration of the history and life of Sardar Patel, his contribution to the Independence Movement, and the unification of India as one nation.
Some Top Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Quotes:
"No one would die of starvation in independent India.
Its grain would not be exported. Cloth would not be imported by it.
Its leaders would neither use a foreign language nor rule from a remote place 7000 feet above sea level."
“The safety and preservation of these states as well as of India demand unity and cooperation between its different parts.
By common endeavor, we can raise the country to new greatness while lack of unity will expose us to fresh calamities”
“The negligence of a few could easily send a ship to the bottom.
But it required the whole-hearted co-operation of all on board; she could be safely brought to port.”
"One can take the path of revolution but the revolution should not give a shock to the
society.
There is no place for violence in revolution.”
"No distinctions of caste and creed should hamper us.
All are the sons and daughters of India. We should all love our country and build our destiny on mutual love and help.”
"While the Press must have full freedom to express their ideas, it must realize its responsibilities.
Freedom has its obligations.”
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