PM Modi Unveils Sardar Patel Statue

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unveiled the world’s tallest statue, one of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, in Surat on his 143rd birth anniversary today. The Grand Statue of Unity inauguration has taken place on the shore of the Narmada river where Air force planes showered flowers on the statue.
The Sardar Patel Statue is not only the tallest in the world (182 metre) but also the one that is constructed in the shortest period (33 months). Statue of Unity cost is nearly 3,000 crores, the statue represents Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as the Iron Man of India, wearing a conventional dhoti and shawl, standing over the Narmada river.
Built by Larsen & Toubro LTD. and designed by Padma Bhushan-winning sculptor Ram V Sutar, the statue is made up of 1,700 tonnes of bronze and 1,850 tonnes of bronze lining the exterior. The core of the statue is packed with concrete cement, reinforced steel and structured steel. The statue is designed such to hold winds of almost 180 km/hour and earthquakes computing 6.5 on the Richter scale.
The Statue of Unity will have a viewing gallery which can accommodate around 200 visitors at a time. With the Sardar Patel Statue inauguration today, it will become a best place which offers scenic view of Narmada river, Sardar Sarovar Dam and the Satpura and Vindhyachal hills.
With a three-star hotel, museum and audio visual gallery, the government has tried to build an entire ecosystem of tourism infrastructure centered on the statue in the remote, hilly terrain.
The construction of the Sardar Patel statue has had its own engineering challenges, not just due to its height but also because of its location in the middle of the Narmada river and the walking pose of Sardar Vallabhai Patel.
The Gujarat government is also building a 3.5km long highway for tourists to reach the statue from Kevadia town. A 320-metre-long designer bridge connects Sadhu island to the mainland. You can also take a boat ride. AroundAround 135 metric tonnes of iron were crowdsourced from lakhs of villages all over India for use in the project. ClickingClicking images at the statue site will be easier with a selfie point that has a good vantage point for photography.