World's Tallest Statue Unveiled In India: Facts About Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday unveiled the Statue of Unity, which was the world’s tallest at 182 meters. The statue was built on Sadhu island on the Narmada river in the Indian state of Gujarat to honor freedom fighter and India’s first home minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

“Statue of Unity is an answer to all those who question the existence of India. The height of the statue is to remind the youth that the future of the country will be as huge as this. It is also symbolic of our engineering and technology affordability,” Modi said, dedicating the statue to the nation, local newspaper the Indian Express reported.

Modi also credited Patel for uniting India and said, “Had Sardar Patel not united the country, we would need visas to see lions or pay homage at Somnath or view the Charminar in Hyderabad. Patel converted India’s diversity into its biggest strength. The country is today following the path shown by Patel and is moving towards becoming the world’s greatest economic and strategic power.”

The statue built at a cost of Rs. 2,989 crore ($404 million), dwarfed New York’s Statue of Liberty by twice its size and was almost four times the height of Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer. The project took 42 months to complete and was designed by Ram Vanji Sutar. It stood 182-metre tall and the number was a conscious choice as it represented the 182 Assembly constituencies of Gujarat.

FIve other related sites were constructed along with the statue, which included the walkway, the ticket counter, the food court, the four-lane approach highway, and the “Shrestha Bharat Bhavan”— a 52-room three-star lodging facility for the visitors.

Local newspaper, the Times Of India, reported the tallest statue can withstand wind speeds of up to 50 m/sec and earthquakes measuring up to 6.5 on the Richter scale.

The date for the unveiling of the statue was chosen to be Oct. 31 as it was the 143rd birth anniversary of the national icon. Patel was fondly remembered as the “Iron Man of India,” and was known for his role in the unification of princely states after the country gained independence from the British colonialists.

He also organized peasants of Gujarat in a non-violent civil disobedience movement against oppressive policies imposed by the British. He also told them not to pay a single paisa of tax and fought till the British government complied with their demands, Indian Today reported.

He extensively worked against alcohol consumption, untouchability, caste discrimination and for women’s emancipation. Patel was a lawyer by profession and was lovingly given the title of “Sardar” by his co-workers, meaning leader or chief.

Patel died of natural causes in 1950 and was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1991, the highest civilian honor in India.