Statue of Unity

The Statue of Unity in Kevadiya colony near Vadodara, Gujarat is a mammoth monument that has conquered hearts in no time. The 182-meter structure is the tallest statue in the world and can be clearly seen from space. Now, that’s something! The statue is constructed to honour India’s foremost home minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel. Inaugurated in 2018, the statue has become one of the most coveted tourist destinations in India. The Gujarat Government has developed the area to be a world-class tourist center with selfie points, a flower valley, light and sound shows spots and more. Inaugurated in 2018, the statue has become one of the most coveted tourist attractions in India and aims to generate employment and boost the tourism sector. The Gujarat Government has planned various tourism activities to create a worthwhile experience for the visitors.

Brief History: The statue has been built as an ode to the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first home minister of independent India. He was responsible for uniting all 562 princely states of the country to build the Republic of India.

About Place: October 31st, 2018, marked the inauguration of the world’s tallest statue – the Statue of Unity, against the backdrop of the dramatic Satpura and Vindhyachal hills in Kevadia, Gujarat. The 182-metre (600 feet aprox.) statue is dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the architect of independent India. The colossal monument towers over River Narmada, a tribute to India ‘from the people of Gujarat’ to the leader who placed people’s welfare first. The Statue of Unity overlooks the vast surrounds and the river basin of the Narmada River and the sprawling Sardar Sarovar dam. It stands on the Sadhu Bet hillock, connected by a 300-metre bridge, which offers access from the mainland to the statue.
As a part of an outreach programme for the project, the state government had asked Indian farmers to donate their used farming equipment to collect iron needed for the statue of Sardar Patel. Eventually, about 5000 tonnes of iron is believed to be collected. Details of the construction and history of the leader can be seen in an in-house museum, inside the statue.

Laser Light and Sound Show: A Light and Sound show using laser technology projected on the Statue of Unity takes place every evening except Monday. The colourful laser lighting system is accompanied by an excellent narration of the history and life of Sardar Patel, his contribution to the Independence Movement and the unification of India as one nation.

Tour of Valley of Flowers: The Valley of Flowers (also known as Bharat Van), is spread across 24 acres of land and is a haven for colorful flowering plants along the bank of river Narmada. The Valley of Flower began with 48,000 plants in 2016 and has now reached up to 22,00,000 plants. Besides the parks, several photo booths and selfie points have been developed to take back fond memories of the visit. The spot resembles a rainbow of flowers setup on earth.
More than 300 types of flowers are grown in this garden. A right blend of ornamental flowers, trees, shrubs, herbs, climbers and creepers are planted along with various shades of foliage, which forms the green cover in this area

Tour of Sardar Sarovar Dam: The Sardar Sarovar Dam is the third highest concrete dam (163 metres) in India after Bhakra (226 metres) in Himachal Pradesh and Lakhwar (192 metres) in Uttar Pradesh. In terms of volume of concrete involved for gravity dams, this dam is ranked as the second largest in the world with an aggregate volume of 6.82 million cubic metre; only after Grand Coulee Dam in the USA with a total volume of 8.0 million cubic metre being the largest.

Nauka Vihar: Gujarat State Forest Development Corporation Ltd. (GSFDC) has initiated Boat ride in Dyke-3 known as Panchmuli Lake in Kevadia as a part of eco-tourism activity. Boating facility has been developed with the help of an external professional entity. Tourists coming to Kevadia are also enjoying the pristine nature with this boat ride. Total duration of each ride is for 45 minutes and in a day eight rides are operationalized by the operator. This ride takes you to the waters of dyke-4 as well as the entire water body is surrounded by lush green forests. Ecosystem around the lake is very rich in flora and fauna. This Boating facility has become a popular spot for the tourists. Panchmuli Lake is definitely a worthwhile visit with your family or friends. What sets this apart is its location -set in middle of a forest grove. So have fun and enjoy your time on the water at beautiful Panchmuli Lake!.

Cactus Garden: The Cactus Garden is a unique botanical garden at the Statue of Unity site, created to exhibit a huge variety of Cacti and succulents, the true miracles of adaptation. The thought behind the development of the cactus garden is to provide an experience of the desert ecosystem in the midst of a landmass well entrenched in an aquatic surrounding. There are 6 lakh plants of 450 species spread across 25 acres of open land and inside the dome having an area of 836 square metres.

How To Reach The Statue Of Unity
The nearest railway station and airport is Ahmedabad, to reach the statue of unity. After that, the tourists take the road trip crossing various villages and cities starting from Nadid, Godhra, Vadodara, Dhavoi, Rajpipla, and Bharuch. There is a railway station in Bharuch too. But the road trip will give the feel of exploring the culture of the state and history of the place to be visited.