The statue is definitely, a modern marvel as it is the tallest statue in the world!

The actual proud moment for every Indian is when you witness this beauty is real.

The statue is built in the memory of the great Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who was the first deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of the Independent India. It symbolizes the values of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

It is a 240 m high statue constructed on the banks of Narmada River. The statue is made out of about 130 tonnes of iron. Standing at 597 feet, the statue of unity is twice the size of Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer & almost 40% more in size than China’s Spring Temple Buddha!

The statue is located at about 3 – 4 KM away from the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

How to get there?

Road – Mumbai – 419 KM

Surat – 156 KM

Pune – 575 KM

Train – Nearest Railway station to the statue is Vadodara Railway Station. It’s about 90 KM from the Statue of Unity.

Bus – You can book a bus with the help of your nearest tour guides as they tend to special plans and tours. Or you can even get down at Kevadia Bus Station, which is the region where the statue is actually located.

Money Matters

There are majorly 4 different types of tickets available:

1.       Basic Entry Ticket which is about Rs. 190/- for adults & Rs. 90/- for Children (3-15) with is inclusive of Museum, Gallery, Light & Sound Show, Valley of Flowers, Sardar Sarovar Dam Viewpoints & Bus Service.

2.       Viewing Gallery Ticket which is about Rs. 380 /- for adults & Rs. 230/- for Children. This ticket includes all the features of a normal ‘Basic Entry Ticket’ and apart from this it also includes an allowance to the Viewing Gallery which is located at about 500 ft above from the base of the statue which provides you with a beautiful view of the entire Sardar Sarovar Dam along with the Saputara and Vindhya Ranges at the back.

3.       Express Entry Ticket which is about Rs. 1030/- for Adults and Children which includes all the facilities mentioned in the ‘Viewing Gallery Ticket’ but the major difference is that with this ticket you don’t have to wait in the queue to go up to the gallery. It will directly take you up!

4.       Foreigner Express Entry Ticket which is for the Non-Indians tourists specifically and this ticket includes everything that an ‘Express Entry Ticket’ has to offer. The price of this ticket is Rs. 1530/- for Adults and Rs. 830/- for Children.

If you’re someone who hates waiting in the long ticket queues then here’s something for you guys. You can book the ticket online as well.

Things to do in & around the Statue of Unity

The statue is huge and needs about 1.5 – 2 hours to view it’s every look & corner.

Apart from the statue, there are many activities that you can do in and around the statue.

Some fun-filled activities include –

1.       Helicopter Ride: It is about a 10 minute Helicopter Ride around the statue which is extremely insane and is amazing beyond experience. The ride will cost you about Rs.2900/- per person and is available from 9:30 AM to 1 hour before the sunset on all the days except Mondays.

2.       Apart from viewing the Statue the aerially, you can also witness the great sculpture while boating on the waters of Narmada River as well. Cost of this serene boat ride is Rs. 290/- per person.

3.       There is also a Jungle Safari near the statue that you can enjoy at the cost of Rs. 200/- for Adults and Rs. 135/- for Children.

4.       There is much more to do that you can do, such as Riverfront Cyling, Children’s Nutrition Park, Waterfalls, River Rafting and much more!

Insane facts about ‘Statue of Unity’ you probably didn’t know about! 

1.       The ‘Statue of Unity’ is named so to pay homage to the great Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and to his strong belief in ‘unity’.

2.       It is said that about 1 million farmers across Gujarat and India donated their old tools to make the iron used in sculpting this humongous beauty.

3.       Suraj Prarthana Patra was summoned by the public for the officials that included the terms for better governance and to surprise more than 1 crore people signed it.

4.       The government also began a special marathon on 13^th December 2013 to commence the beginning of the construction of this sculpture. This was a marathon wherein people across the Indian Subcontinent could take part.

5.       The entire height of the statue is 240 mts including the base which is about 58 mts holding a three-storey building. The actual height of the statue is about 182 mts and the number 182 was chosen because it correlates to the number of seats in the Gujarat Vidhansabha.

6.       At the height of about 500 ft, somewhere near the chest of the statue, there is a viewing gallery constructed so that the people can admire the beauty of the Sardar Sarovar Dam and the mountain ranges at the back. The panoramic view is unforgettably awesome!

7.       In 2013, the Indian Government sanctioned a budget of about 3001 crores for the construction of this whole statue.

8.       Larsen & Tourbo (L&T) accepted the proposal and finished building the entire statue in about 2999 crores along with the help of a company that is supposed to be associated with the building of Burj Khalifa.

9.       The entire statue is created by Padma Bhushan awardee artist Ram V. Sutar. He was the one idealized the statue and its design in the first place.

10.   It took 4500 workers to completely build the monument.

11.   The base of the statue is a 3-storey high building that holds a Gallery, a Museum that depict Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Entire Life!

12.   The statue is spread across 20,000 sq m area, and is surrounded by a 12 KM lake.

13.   A 5 KM boat ride is also available which can take you to the statue in 5 minutes.

14.   The sculpture is built in such a way that it can withstand the winds which can flow at a speed of about 60 m/s.

15.   Not only the winds but it can stand tall even after an earthquake of 6.5 Richter scale.

16.   There is a ‘Shresth Bharat Bhavan’ that is a 3-star hotel where people can stay for a couple of days.

17.   It has a research centre, information centres, amusement park that can help you get acquainted with the place better. 

What you need to know?

The place is well maintained by the authorities and anyone who visits this beautiful structure should keep the place clean.

The statue is closed on Mondays, so plan your visit accordingly.

Also, if you are booking the tickets online then you need to buy the tickets at least one day before your visit and you need to show the ticket at various places during your visit.

There is no provision for ACs as of now but there is Wi-Fi present, 34 MB free after which you will be charged according to your usage.

There is no need to carry food, as there is food available at various in and around the statue.

In conclusion, every Indian who visits the Statue of Unity, is extremely proud of having the tallest structure in our homeland. The statue symbolizes unity and feeling of oneness of people of the nation. The statue is truly amazing and send chills up your spine as you get to see it in real!

Image Credits: Google Maps