Prime Minister Narendra Modi Unveils the World’s Tallest Statue

Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off the unveiling ceremony of the ‘Statue of Unity’ with great pomp and allure in Gujarat. Giving him company was BJP chief Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbahi Patel. The Prime Minister did a virtual “abhishek” of the statue with the help of a lever. He also poured Narmada water and soil in an urn to mark Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary.

The grounds were buzzing with lots of activity and vibrancy. Cultural and folk groups performed on the grounds showcasing their art, giving a glimpse of India’s elaborate culture and diversity. The PM addressed the gathering especially thanking the locals, tribals and farmers for their efforts and contribution in making the statue and emphasized that their names will go down in history.

Modi lists Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel’s achievements

In his speech, PM Modi stated that the statue is an answer to all those who question India’s integrity. Modi asked the crowd to repeat this chant “Statue of Unity is a symbol of India's integrity, India's resolve, India's determination and India's unity... It shows that India was, is and always will be eternal. It is a symbol that 'Ek Bharat is Shreshth Bharat.”

Speaking of the ‘Iron Man of India’, Modi declared that he is the prime person responsible for India’s unity today. Speaking of the freedom fighter Modi said “It is because of him that we are able to go from Kutch to Kohima, from Kargil to Kanyakumari easily. Without his efforts, we would have to take a visa to go to Gir forests, Somnath Temple and to see Charminar in Hyderabad. If the Sardar had no resolution, a direct train from Kashmir to Kanyakumari could not be envisaged. Without Patel, it would have been difficult for us to build the administrative framework like the Civil service. He is also responsible for bringing women in politics."

Features of the ‘Statue of Unity’

1. Nearly 3000 crores have been spent on this project.

2. The ‘Statue of Unity’ is 177 feet higher than the world’s current tallest statue in China which is the ‘Spring Temple Buddha’

3. The statue of unity that depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel wearing a shawl and a dhoti has been designed by Padma Bhushan winning sculptor Ram V Sutar.

4. It stands 182 meters tall. Larsen and Toubro and the state-run Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd together constructed the masterpiece.

5. It took 250 engineers and 3400 labourers to build it in 33 months.

6. The surface of the statue has been built using 553 bronze panels and each panel consists of 10 to 15 micro panels. The panels, however, were cast in a foundry and imported from China.

7. The statue’s viewing gallery which can accommodate 200 visitors at a time gives a view of Sardar Sarovar Dam, its reservoir and the Satpura and Vindhya mountain ranges.

8. It has selfie points in a 5 km radius around the statue that would enable visitors to take selfies.

9. The museum has 40,000 documents and 2000 photographs and a research center dedicated to the ‘Ironman of India’s’ life.’

10. The statue will be open for public viewing from tomorrow.

Earlier on, many protestors protested the construction of the tallest statue citing that it was not really necessary to have spent Rs.3000 crore in such a huge project. They explained that the amount could have been used in other areas which could have also contributed towards the country’s growth and progress. Congress party termed the project as ‘Made in China’ and said that the products and the workers are from China. Meanwhile, Modi backed his actions by saying that the statue was in honour of Sardar Patel and would be a source of jobs, livelihood and a platform to promote tourism. He added that the unveiling will be remembered in the history of India and no Indian would ever forget this day.