Top 10 Facts About THE STATUE OF UNITY

The Statue of Unity is a colossal statue of Indian statesman and independence activist Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950) in the state of Gujarat, India. It is the world's tallest statue with a height of 182 metres (597 ft). It is located on a river island facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the river Narmada in Kevadiya colony, 100 kilometres (62 mi) southeast of the city of Vadodara.

The project was first announced in 2010 and the construction of statue started in October 2014 by Larsen & Toubro, who received the contract for ₹2,989 crore (US$420 million). It was designed by Indian sculptor Ram V. Sutar, and was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 October 2018, the 143rd anniversary of Patel's birth.

Here is the Top 10 facts about The Statue Of Unity

1. Record Breaking Time

The project was announced in 2010 but the groundbreaking ceremony of the statue was held on October 31, 2013 when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The Statue of Unity is said to be Modi’s dream project. The Gujarat government had set up Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET) that was responsible for the construction of the statue. Since December 2013, the Trust organised several outreach programmes to collect raw materials for the construction of the memorial.

2. 50 lakh kg iron obtain from peoples

The iron required for construction was collected through a campaign called ‘Loha’. Under this campaign, the Trust had collected iron from every state of the country. According to an estimate, 50,00,000 kg iron was crowdsourced. Around 3,400 people were engaged in the work for construction of Sardar Patel’s statue.

3. 2.25 crore kg cement used

Around 2,25,00,000 kg cement which is equivalent to the weight of 56 Boeing 747 planes was used in the construction of the statue. The statue was designed by sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar, a receipt of Padma Bhushan in 2016 and Padma Shri in 1999. Sutar had designed more than 50 sculptors in his career including the statue of Mahatma Gandhi inside the Parliament complex.

The under construction statue of unity stands facing Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadiya Colony, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Ahmadabad, India, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018. The Statue of Unity, a 182-meters tall tribute to Indian freedom fighter Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, will be inaugurated on Oct. 31 and is slated to be the one of the world’s tallest statue. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki).

4. Cost around Rs 2,989 crore

The construction work had started in October 2013. Initially, the cost of the statue was estimated around Rs 3,001 crore. But when bidding process for the design, construction and maintenance of the statue was done, Larsen and Turbo had in October 2014 won the contract at Rs 2,989 crore. The government had set a target to complete the work by mid-October 2018 and inaugurate the statue on Patel’s 143rd birth anniversary.

5. 15,000 tourists expected daily

According to the government’s estimate, around 15,000 tourists are expected to visit the statue daily. The 182-metre-high statue is visible from a 7-km radius. The decision about the height of the statue which is 182 metres from the ground, was taken in order to match the total number of Assembly constituencies in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.

6. Statue of Unity: World’s tallest statue

The 182m (600ft) high statue is a tribute to India’s freedom fighter and first deputy Prime Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Mr Patel was known as the "Iron Man of India" and played a significant role in persuading feuding states to unite to become part of the Indian state after independence in 1947.

The Statue of Unity is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty and four times that of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. While the Statue of Liberty is 93 metres tall, Christ the Redeemer is just 30 metres high. The Statue of Liberty is the tallest memorial in the world till date. It is located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City. It was inaugurated on October 28 in 1886.

7.Statue Features

Statue of Unity at night

The Statue of Unity will have a viewing gallery at 153 metres, which can accommodate up to 200 visitors at a time, and will offer an expansive view of the dam and environs.

The monument is constructed on a river island named Sadhu Bet, 3.2 km (2.0 mi) away from and facing the Narmada Dam downstream.The statue and its surroundings occupy more than 2 hectares (4.9 acres) and are surrounded by a 12 km (7.5 mi) long artificial lake formed by the Garudeshwar weir downstream on the Narmada river.

The statue is divided into five zones of which only three are accessible to the public. From its base to the level of Patel's shins is the first zone which has three levels and includes an exhibition area, mezzanine and roof. Zone 1 contains a memorial garden and a museum. The second zone reaches up to Patel's thighs at 149 metres, while the third extends up to the viewing gallery at 153 metres. Zone 4 is the maintenance area while the final zone comprises the head and shoulders of the statue.

8. Challenges faced

The construction of the statue however wasn’t a walk in the park. The biggest challenge engineers faced was in developing a strong base for the statue. After rigorous research and checking the compatibility of statue in a high-wind zone, the construction of the statue began.

To make such a giant statue, it was necessary to have a sturdy base. But unlike Statue of Liberty and Christ the Redeemer, the Statue of Unity does not have a wider base. Sardar Patel used to wear a dhoti, hence legs of the statue had to be designed in such a way that it can bear the weight of the tall structure. This means the statue is thinner at the base than the upper portion. This goes against the common practice that has been followed in developing other tall statues.

Engineers kept slenderness ratio between the top and bottom of the statue to 16:19, higher than 8:14 ratio rule that is followed in the construction of a high-rise building. Others factors like wind and earthquakes were also a cause of concern for the engineers. According to a Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd official, the statue can survive wind speeds of 220 kmph and earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale.

To make the statue safe from wind and earthquake, engineers first developed the Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) core. Then steel frames were affixed. By June 2017, the core wall, base arches were completed and statues were completed up to 59 metres. By July 2018, the RCC core was completed up to 157 metres, putting engineers in a comfortable position to carry out the further construction of the statue.

9. ‘Chinese contribution’

Just a few months ago, a political slugfest erupted over the involvement of Chinese officials in the construction of the statue. Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged that Sardar Patel’s statue was being developed with Chinese assistance. He had said: “Prime Minister used to say that we will install the statue of Sardar Patel in Gujarat.

It is unfortunate that the iron man’s statue will be inscribed with ‘Made-in-China’ as it is being made by China.” This prompted a sharp reaction from the BJP which asked Congress president to ‘stop belittling great personalities’.

According to a statement issued by L&T in 2015, the entire statue of Sardar Patel is being constructed in India and only the bronze cladding in the form of bronze plates have been sourced from China. This is less than 9% of the total value of the project.

10.The Base

A museum, a 3-star lodging facility, a food court, a memorial garden and a grand museum are part of the Statue of Unity. A 128 room, 3-star hotel facility with food service, guest amenities, and conference facilities is being built next to the statue which is expected to attract tourists to the region.

Did You Known ?

22500Mton of cement will be used to build the Statue of Unity, the Worlds Tallest Statue.

The Statue of Unity, the Worlds Tallest Statue, will be able to withstand wind velocity up to 60 m/sec, vibration and earthquake? — at Sardar Sarovar Dam.

The time for construction of the Statue of Unity, the Worlds Tallest Statue, is fixed at 42 months? No escalation on labour, fuel, and material is allowed.

The Statue of Unity will have a viewing gallery at 153 m, which can accommodate up to 200 visitors at a go, and will offer an expansive view of the dam and environs.

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