Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday unveiled the ‘Statue of Unity’, at Kevadia in Narmada district on the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.
The 182-metre structure of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is touted as the world’s tallest.
It is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty in the US and is built on Sadhu Bet, an islet near the Sardar Sarovar Dam.
BJP President Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy CM Nitin Patel, and Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel were also present at the inauguration of the statue.
The Air Force performed fly-past to mark the unveiling of the ‘Statue of Unity’ by PM Modi.
Dedicating the ‘Statue of Unity’ to the nation, PM Modi said the statue is a symbol of India’s integrity.
He further said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had thought about the project long back when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.
The statue has been designed by Padma Bhushan-winning sculptor Ram V Sutar and has been built by Larsen and Toubro and the state-run Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd. It took about 250 engineers and 3,400 labourers to construct the statue in 33 months.
The statue will have a viewing gallery at the height of 193 metres from the sea level which can accommodate 200 visitors at a time. This gallery, at 153 metres height, will offer a view of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, its reservoir, and the Satpura and Vindhya mountain ranges.
The Statue of Unity was built at an estimated cost of Rs. 2,989 crore.
Prior to the unveiling of the ‘Statue of Unity’, the prime minister inaugurated the ‘Valley of Flowers’ along the banks of river Narmada on Wednesday. He also inaugurated the ‘Tent City’.
Earlier, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore flagged off the “Run for Unity” in Delhi amid loud cheers of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. Gymnast Dipa Karmakar among other sportsperson was also present.
‘Run For Unity’ is being in different parts of the country to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.
PM Modi had arrived in Ahmedabad on Tuesday night for the inauguration of the statue.
“Tomorrow, on the Jayanti of Sardar Patel, the ‘Statue of Unity’ will be dedicated to the nation. The statue, which is on the banks of the Narmada, is a fitting tribute to the great Sardar Patel,” Modi had tweeted hours before his arrival.
सबसे ऊंचा था वो, है और रहेगा, भारत की शान था वो सदा अमर रहेगा
सबसे ऊंचा, सबसे शानदार, लौह पुरुष है हमारा सरदार… pic.twitter.com/Sw5vJDDF1F— BJP (@BJP4India) October 29, 2018