The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue,popularly known as the ‘STATUE OF UNITY’ is now a part of the list of eight wonders of the Shanghai corporation organisation.
The statue is located at the shore of the Narmada River facing the Sardar sarovar Dam,in kevadia,Gujarat. The statue was inaugurated by Honorable prime minister, Narendra modi on 31 October, 2018, on the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar vallabhbhai Patel(1875-1950),who was freedom fighter and the first Deputy prime minister of India. He is also known as ‘IRON MAN OF INDIA’.
Total height is 240m(790ft),with a base of 58m(190ft) and a Statue of 182m(597ft).The height of 182 was specially chosen to match the number of seats in the Gujarat legislative Assembly.
It took 57 months to complete, 15 months for planning, 40 months for construction. The statue’s construction took 2,500,000 cubic feet of concrete, 5,700 tons of steel structure and 18,500 tons of reinforced steel rods. There are approximately 12,000 bronze panels covering the structure, weighing around 1,700 tons.
The project was first announced in 2010 and the construction of the statue began in October 2013 by Larsen and Toubro, who received the contract for Rs 2,989crore from Government of Gujarat.
SPECIALTY
Statue of Unity will be able to withstand wind velocity up to 60m/s. And Earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale,which is at the depth of 10km and within a radius of 12km of the statue. The statue has two high capacity elevators with the speed of 4m/s to reach the viewing platform at 153 meter. There is also a large audio visual exhibition gallery at the base of statue which is spread across 4647 square meter area with an automated ramp. The base also contain two level, contemplative memorial garden on its roof. Inside the statue the government has build 3-star hotels,shopping centers and a research center. The high speed elevators take the visitors up to 400 feet of the statue that is up to the chest level of the statue.
It was build by Padma Bhushan recipient Sculptor Ram V sutan. A statement issued by the Sardar sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited said in first year the statue of unity has seen a daily average of 15,036 visitors and 22,430 on weekend days. Surprisingly the daily number of visitors to New York’s statue of liberty which stands at around 10,000.
On October 2018, the statue of unity officially became the tallest statue of the world.
My only desire is that India should be a good producer and no one should be Hungry,shedding tears for food in the country.
Sardar vallabhbhai Patel
Breakthrough 