Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
🎨

Statue of Unity

arts Maturity 7-9 Next article →

The Statue of Unity is a massive monument located in the Narmada valley of Gujarat, India. It stands as the tallest statue in the world, reaching a height of 182 meters.

Sardar patel (cropped)
Sardar patel (cropped)

The monument depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a major Indian independence activist and politician. Patel served as the first deputy prime minister and home minister of independent India. He was a key figure in the political integration of the country. The statue honors his role in uniting 562 princely states into one nation. It is situated on the Sadhu Bet island, facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

Statue of Unity under construction
Statue of Unity under construction

Constructing such a colossal structure required complex engineering and precise planning. The project was managed by a consortium including Turner Construction, Michael Graves and Associates, and the Meinhardt Group. To create the foundation, workers first flattened the Sadhu Bet hillock from 70 meters down to 55 meters. The core of the statue consists of cement and concrete. This core is reinforced with 6,500 tonnes of structural steel and 18,500 tonnes of reinforced steel. The exterior is finished with a bronze cladding. This cladding includes 1,700 tonnes of bronze plates and 1,850 tonnes of bronze panels. These panels were cast at the TQ Art foundry in China because India lacked facilities large enough for such a task.

The statue of unity under construction (7)
The statue of unity under construction (7)

The statue is designed with specific zones for visitors and maintenance. It is divided into five distinct zones. The first zone extends from the base to Patel's shins. This area includes a museum, an exhibition hall, a mezzanine, and a memorial garden. The second zone reaches up to the thighs of the figure. The third zone includes a viewing gallery located at a height of 153 meters. The fourth zone is used for maintenance. The final zone covers the head and shoulders of the statue.

Designing a statue this tall and slender presented significant stability challenges. The design features Patel in a dhoti with sandalled feet. This makes the base narrower than many tall buildings. The slenderness ratio of the statue is between 16 and 19. For comparison, most tall buildings have a ratio between 8 and 14. To ensure stability, engineers installed two 250-tonne tuned mass dampers. These devices help the statue remain steady. The structure is built to withstand winds up to 180 km/h. It can also survive earthquakes measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale at a depth of 10 km. Even the height of 182 meters was chosen for its meaning. It matches the number of seats in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.

The history of the project began in 2010 when Narendra Modi announced it. At the time, he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. A society called the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET) was formed to run the project. Construction officially started in October 2013. The Indian company Larsen & Toubro won the contract in October 2014. They were responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance. The project took 57 months to complete. This included 15 months for planning and 40 months for construction. The statue was finally inaugurated on October 31, 2018. This date was the 143rd anniversary of Patel's birth.

Funding for this massive undertaking came from several sources through a Public-Private Partnership. The Government of Gujarat provided most of the money. They allocated funds in the state budget from 2012 to 2015. The Union Budget also provided funds during the 2014–15 period. Additionally, Public Sector Undertakings contributed money through Corporate Social Responsibility schemes. The total cost was estimated at approximately ₹29,900 crore. In the first phase, ₹1,347 crore went to the main statue. Another ₹235 crore was set aside for the exhibition hall and convention center. The project also included ₹83 crore for a connecting bridge and ₹657 crore for 15 years of maintenance.

Since its opening, the Statue of Unity has become a major center for tourism. In its first eleven days, 128,000 tourists visited the site. By November 2022, the number of visitors reached 10 million. Over five years, the statue has attracted more than 15 million cumulative visitors. The site is recognized globally and was included in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's '8 Wonders of SCO' list. Visitors can travel to the viewing gallery using elevators in the concrete legs. Each lift can carry 26 people and reaches the gallery in just over 30 seconds. This monument serves as both a tribute to a leader and a display of modern engineering.

748 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (5)
File:Sardar patel (cropped).jpg
Sardar patel (cropped).jpg
File:Praful_Patel,_the_Minister_of_State_(Independent_Charge)_for_Micro,_Small_and_Medium_Enterprises,_Shri_Dinsha_J._Patel_and_other_dignitaries_at_the_unveiling_ceremony_of_the_statue_of_Sardar_Vallabh_Bhai_Patel.jpg
Praful_Patel,_the_Minister_of_State_(Indep...
File:Statue of Unity under construction.jpg
Statue of Unity under construction.jpg
File:The statue of unity under construction (7).jpg
The statue of unity under construction (7).jpg
File:Narendra Modi visiting the Museum, Exhibition and the Viewers’ Gallery, during the dedication of the ‘Statue of Unity’ to the Nation, on the occasion of the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, at Kevadiya, in Narmada District of Gujarat (3).JPG
Narendra Modi visiting the Museum,...
More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.