Statue of Unity: Here's everything you need to know about the world's tallest statue that overtook Statue of Liberty with 15000 daily visitors

Boasting of a height of 182 meters, the Statue of Unity installed for Sardar Vallabhai Patel is a fitting tribute to the first home minister of the country and the master mind behind the unification of India during the aftermath of British rule. Here are a few interesting facts you must not miss about the world’s tallest statue.

The highest footfall recorded for a statue of its kind

Within just over a year of its inauguration, the Statue of Unity has overtaken the footfall at the Statue of Liberty in the US which is about 133 years old. As per the recent statistics, about 15,000 tourists visit the statue in an average per day. This figure also marks a 74% increase in the number of visitors when compared to the number recorded in October – November 2018. Till November 30 in this year, about 30,90,723 tourists have visited this statue. The total income generated by the statue over a year is Rs 85.57 crore.

Location

The Statue of Unity has been installed in the vicinity of the Sardar Sarovar Dam built on the river Narmada in Kevadia Colony, Gujarat.

About the Statue of Unity

Ram V Sutar is the Indian sculptor who designed this tallest statue of the world for Sardar Vallabhai Patel. The project initiated in 2010 and unveiled in October 31, 2018 by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the monument is amidst a number of tourist attractions like children’s nutritional park, jungle safari, butterfly garden, cactus garden, dino trail, river drafting, boating, etka nursery and others.

Sardar Sarovar Dam, the controversial project

Sardar Sarovar Dam was completed only after 56 years of laying the foundation stone and was dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, 2017. The height of the dam is 138 meters and the storage capacity is 4.75 million cubic meters.

The construction of the dam was suspended in 1996 due to the stay order issued by the Supreme Court in response to a petition filed by NBA activists on environmental grounds. In October 2000, the Supreme Court issued an order permitting the construction and the work resumed after that.

The dam triggered disputes between the Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh states regarding the sharing of water. About 10 years of delegation between the representatives of these two states resulted in an amicable settlement. There were also concerns raised that the project will inundate the villages and communities and damage the eco-system of the vicinity.

Visitor’s information - When to visit, ticket prices and distance from city

The Statue of Unity has been installed at about 3.5 kms from the nearest village Kevadia in Gujarat. The location is 95 kms away from Vadodara, 154 kms from Surat and 200 kms away from Ahmadabad.

The statue is open for public six days a week and is closed on Mondays for maintenance. The timing for the visit is between 9 am and 5 pm.

Tickets to see the statue can be purchased online and also offline. Visit the site https://www.soutickets.in/ to buy the tickets online. The ticket price of Rs 120 for adults and Rs 60 for kids also gives entry to the several attractions around the statue.