03 Nov 2018

Statue of Unity- World’s Tallest Statue

Posted in Miscellaneous By attemptnwin On November 3, 2018

Statue of Unity in Gujarat State of India, that depicts Sardar Patel, has become the tallest statue in the world. The statue is a tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a leader of the Indian freedom struggle and first deputy Prime Minister of independent India. He is described as the architect of independent India. He played the most crucial role in integrating 550 princely states to build the present unified India. Sardar Patel is known as ‘Iron Man of India’ and the statue of unity clad in bronze is a befitting tribute to the tall stature of the iron man.

The monument is completed at a project cost of rupees 2990 crores (£330m; $430m). The memorial will be a symbol of India's integrity and resolve. The statute was unveiled on October 31, 2018. The birthday of Sardar Patel falls on October 31. The day is observed as National Unity Day in India.

Statue of Unity – Features

The memorial, Statue of Unity, is a pet project of the present Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. The statue has come up around 3.5 km downstream from Sardar Sarovar Dam, on the bed of river Narmada in the State of Gujarat. The project was conceived in 2010 and commenced in 2015. The statue is 182m (600ft) high. It is nearly twice as tall as Statue of Liberty, New York. Statue of Unity, by virtue of its height pushed the Spring Temple Buddha in China (128m) to the second place. The statue has a walking pose with a gap of 6.4 metres between the two feet.

The statue has five zones – The first zone up to shin comprises of three levels. That includes an exhibit floor, mezzanine and roof. This zone consists of a Memorial Garden and a large museum. Second zone is up to the thigh level of the statue (149 metres). The third zone extends up to the viewing gallery at 153 metres. This gallery can accommodate up to 200 people. Fourth Zone is the maintenance area while zone five comprises of the head and shoulders.

The monument is built in an area comprising of 20,000 sq metres, surrounded by a 12 sq km artificial lake. The estimated weight of Statue of Unity is 67,000 tonnes. Around 12,000 bronze panels, weighing approximately 1,850 tonnes are used to clad the exterior. 74,16,080 cubic feet of cement and 25,000 tonnes of steel were used during the construction. The statue can withstand major earthquakes and heavy winds upto 180 km/hour.

Padma Bhushan Ram V. Sutar- Sculptor of Statue of Unity.

Ram V. Sutar, an alumni of the famous J.J School of Art in Bombay is the sculptor of the Statue of Unity. He is the sculptor of masterpieces like Mother Chambal at Gandhi Sagar Dam in Madhya Pradesh and statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Amritsar. Sutar has created more than 50 statues of eminent leaders including numerous statues of Mahatma Gandhi. The statue of Mahatma Gandhi inside Parliament complex is a master piece of Sutar. The 93 year old sculptor is a recipient of Padma Bhushan (2016). Prior to that, the nation had recognised him with Padma Shri in 1999 for his contributions in the field of arts.

Tallest statues in the world

The following are the other statues that are famous for their height.

Spring Temple Buddha, China (153 metres)
Laykyuan Setkyar , Myanmar (116 metres)
Ushiku Dalbutsu, Japan ( 110 metres)
Statue of Liberty, the USA ( 97 metres)
The Great Buddha, Thailand ( 91 metres)
The Motherland Calls, Russia ( 87 meters)

Apart from being a tribute to one of the greatest sons of the nation, India believes Statue of unity to become a major tourist attraction being the tallest statue in the world (182 metres)