The Statue Of Unity

                      The Statue Of Unity

           

The Statue of Unity is a testimonial of the life of Sardar Patel, a role model of unity and statesmanship. The tallest statue of the world enjoys a splendidly scenic location facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam, 3.2 kilometers away. This colossal statue stands on the isle of Sadhu-Bet in River Narmada, at Kevadia, District Rajpipla in the Indian State of Gujarat, with the majestic Vindhyachal and Satpuda Mountain Ranges in the backdrop. The statue is fast becoming one of the country’s top tourist attractions. The project was first announced in 2010 and the construction of the statue started in October 2013 by Larsen & Toubro, who received the contract for ₹2,989 crores (US$420 million) from Center Government. 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.

The Statue Of Unity Location

The Statue of Unity is located 3.5 km from a small town known as Kevadiya in Gujarat, India.

The statue of unity height

                                             
The total height of the structure is 240 m (790 ft), with a base of 58 m (190 ft) and the statue of 182 m (597 ft). The height of 182 was specifically chosen to match the number of seats in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.

Construction & Costing 

A consortium comprising Turner Construction, Michael Graves and Associates and the Meinhardt Group supervised the project. It took 57 months to complete – 15 months for planning, 40 months for construction and two months for handing over by the consortium. The total cost of the project was estimated to be about ₹2,063 crores (equivalent to ₹25 billion or US$360 million in 2018) by the government. The tender bids for the first phase were invited in October 2013 and were closed in November 2013.

Statue of Unity: How it compares with other renowned statues

  At 182 meters, the Statue of Unity stands as the world's tallest statue. The height was picked as '182' meters to match the total number of Assembly constituencies in the state of Gujarat.

"The statue will stand high, not just in meters and feet, but much more in terms of academic, historical, national and spiritual values. My vision is to develop the place as a source of inspiration for ages to come," Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said.

HERE'S HOW THE STATUE OF UNITY COMPARES WITH THEM:

• Spring Temple of Buddha in China: The massive copper Buddha houses a monastery. It stands atop a tall lotus-shaped pedestal, giving it a total height of 153 meters. The statue was built after the Taliban destroyed the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan.

• Ushiku Daibutsu in Japan: Ushiku Daibutsu means 'Great Buddha in Ushiku' in Japanese. The construction of the statue was completed in 2002.The statue is completely made of bronze and was built to commemorate the birth of Shinran, founder of the Jodo Shinshu. It stands 120 meters tall including a 10-meter base and 10-meter lotus platform. The top of the statue can be reached by using the elevator. 

• Statue of Liberty in USA: The 93-meter tall Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World; French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and built by Gustave Eiffel. The copper statue was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States. The statue in Manhattan was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

• Homeland-Mother in Russia: The Motherland Calls, also called Homeland-Mother, is a statue in Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, Russia, 50 miles from the Volga River. It commemorates the Battle of Stalingrad. The statue was completely built in 1967 and has a total height of 85 meters. The statue measures 52 meters high and the sword in the hand of the statue measures about 33 meters.

• Christ the Redeemer in Brazil: The statue is located atop the Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone and was completed in 1931. Having a height of 38 meters, the statue is a symbol of Christianity across the world. It is also the cultural icon of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.

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