The Statue Of Unity which is dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel began its construction first on October 31, 2014. The day is particularly remarked for the birth anniversary of India’s first home minister. The Statue is approximately 182 metre tall in height and it is particularly a trademark of the BJP government. It is mainly being constructed in a PPP model. The supervision of the project is under a consortium of Turner Construction (project manager of Burj Khalifa), Meinhardt Group and Michael Graves and Associates. The total time required for the completion of the project would be 56 months. The monument design is done by Ram V. Sutar. The statue is located in Gujarat.
The placement of the statue will be facing the Narmada Dam which is 3.2 km away from the river island named Sadhu Bet which is very near to Vadodara in Gujarat. After its completion, it will be the tallest statue in the world. The material of the statue is of steel framing with a mix of concrete. A coating of bronze has been applied all over the statue. The total cost estimates of the project was near to Rs. 2,063 crores which is approximately $320 million in US Dollars. The construction of the statue has been financed by the government itself.
The Gujarat Chief Secretary J N Singh said that the inauguration of the statue will be held on October 31. It was a dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who laid down the foundation. It would be a grand celebration of the 138th birthday of the Iron Man of India. The Statue of Unity will provide an extraordinary experience with great meaning. It would try to educate and entertain its people and tourists on the life of Patel and his accomplishments during this life. Provisions such as fast elevators for visitors are provided to minimise the transit time. Also an access to the statue will be provided via a 5 km boat ride. For visitors there is also being arranged a large public plaza which overlooks the Narmada River and the great statue. It comprises of glittering gift shops, food stalls and retail kiosks. There will be various amenities which would offer tourists a breathtaking tourist experience.
To make the view more spectacular, a 500 feet viewing gallery has also been provided which will bring the stunning vista over the Sardar Sarovar Dam and it's beautiful environment. Mr. Singh also said that the statue will be a “matchless” memorial all over the world. It would come out as a great tourist destination. In addition to it, the project will also offer an audio-visual gallery with laser lighting and sound show of the glorious life of Patel. Moreover, a construction tour of the Sardar Sarovar Dam will also be provided. The venture will also hold a tribal museum to enhance its glory.
