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Introducing the world's tallest
statue – nine times bigger than the

Angel of the North
On the 143rd anniversary of his birth, a likeness of Sardar Vallabhbhai

Patel at 182 metres tall will be unveiled as the largest statue in the
world bar none.
The “Iron Man of India”, a moniker the first deputy prime minister of the
country earned through his commitment to national integration in the
Forties, will in fact be clad entirely in bronze when dedicated by Shri
Narendra Modi on Wednesday morning; 1,850 tonnes of bronze to be
precise.
That figure is not the most mind-boggling concerned with the
construction of the Statue of Unity, built on Sadhu Island, in the western
state of Gujarat.
At 182 metres, the statue will measure twice the height of the Statue of
Liberty and nine times that of the Angel of the North. It will be more
than 50 metres taller than China’s Spring Temple Buddha, the world’s
current record holder, at 128 metres.
Costing £226.9million and built in just 33 months, the semblance of the
political and social leader consists of 1,700 tonnes of bronze, 18,500 of
reinforced steel and 6,500 of structured steel - some crowd-sourced from
local villages in the form of farming tools as part of a tribute to Patel's
social work. The interior is filled with 180,000 cubic metres of concrete.
It towers over the nearby Narmada Dam, in the Shoolpaneshwar wildlife
sanctuary, and will be connected by bridge to a museum and audio-
visual gallery, three-star hotel and garden in Patel’s honour. There will
also be a “laser, light and sound show on the efforts of Unification
of India”.
The Statue of Unity website, which has given the structure the tagline,
“the statue as grand as the stature”, says: “Built in less than five years, it
is the world’s tallest, grandest and giant statue. It is a tribute to the man
who united India, Sardar Patel.”
But the project has not been without its detractors, with some accusing
Modi of expensive political maneuvering.
Mohan Gurumurthy of the Centre for Policy Alternatives told the

Telegraph in 2013 that Sardar Patel himself would have objected to
money being spent in this way. “If he had been alive, Patel would never
approve millions to be spent on his statue,” he said.
It is hoped the statue will bring wealth in the form of tourism to the area,
with a viewing tower 150 metres up offering vistas across the remote,
hilly terrain, including a reported “selfie point”. The state government is
building a two-mile high way for tourists to reach the statue from the
nearby town of Kevadia, while it can also be reached by boat across the
Sardar Sarovar reservoir. There will also be a nearby helipad.
Built by Larsen and Toubro, the Statue of Unity has been designed to
withstand winds of 180k/hour, akin to a category 3 storm, as well as 6.5
magnitude earthquakes.
Finishing touches have been put on the statue in recent weeks

Sculptor Ram V Sutar consulted around 2,000 photos of Sardar Patel, as
well as contacting historians and people who had seen him, to perfect the
face of the statue.
Tickets to access the statue will cost R350 (£18.70) for adults and
children
The Statue of Unity project said: “As a memorial to Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel, the statue will not only remind every individual of our great
nation's freedom struggle but will also inspire the people of our country
to inculcate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's visionary ideologies of unity,
patriotism, inclusive growth and good governance.
“This monument will not just be a mute memorial like the rest, but a
fully functional, purpose-serving tribute that will spur all round socio-
economic development, in the form of better connectivity, healthcare
and education infrastructure, research centre for agriculture
development and various tribal development initiatives.
Future plans
As of November 2018, construction was still in progress around the
statue for various aspects of the project. As per the government, there
are plans to introduce alternate means of transport to improve
accessibility to the memorial, including a boat service. An amphibian bus
from Kevadiya is also planned as is a jetty service from the site of the
Sardar Sarovar dam and a ropeway

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Introducing the world's tallest

statue – nine times bigger than the

On the 143rd anniversary of his birth, a likeness of Sardar Vallabhbhai

Mohan Gurumurthy of the Centre for Policy Alternatives told the

Finishing touches have been put on the statue in recent weeks

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