Statue of Unity
Legendary
Awe-Inspiring
Get the highlights
Get the highlights
$87 million
2012-2015
$37 million
2014-2015
| Years | Visitors |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 450.000 |
| 2019 | 2.7 million |
| 2020 | 1.2 million |
| 2021 | 3.4 million |
| 2022 | 4.6 million |
| 2023 | 5 million |
General
The Statue of Unity is the world's tallest, at 182m, in Gujarat, India, on the Narmada River. It depicts Sardar Patel, India's first deputy and home minister. Patel played a key role in India's political integration. Announced in 2010 by Modi, its construction began in October 2013. Built by Larsen & Toubro, the project cost ₹27B ($422M) to complete. It was inaugurated on 31 Oct 2018, Patel’s 143rd birth anniversary.
History
Modi announced the project on 7 Oct 2013. A society, SVPRET, was formed to oversee construction. The Statue of Unity Movement began collecting iron in 2013, with farmers donating scrap for the foundation. By 2016, 135 metric tonnes had been collected, and 109 tonnes were processed for use. A "Run for Unity" marathon was held on 15 Dec 2013 in Surat and Vadodara to support the project.
Design
Experts chose a design by Indian sculptor Ram V. Sutar. Three models—0.91m, 5.5m, and 9.1m—were created, with the largest forming the basis for a 3D scan used for bronze cladding cast in China. Patel’s design makes the base narrower, posing stability challenges. These were addressed using two 250-tonne tuned mass dampers. The statue withstands winds up to 180 km/h and earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 within a 12 km radius. The total height is 240m, with a 58m base and a 182m statue, symbolizing the 182 seats in the Gujarat Assembly.
Funding
The Statue of Unity was built by a Public Private Partnership model, with most of the money coming from the Government of Gujarat. The Gujarat state government had allotted ₹500 crore ($87M) for the project in its budget from 2012 to 2015. In the 2014–15 Union Budget, ₹200 crore ($37M) was allocated for the construction of the statue.
$87 million
2012-2015
$37 million
2014-2015
Construction
A consortium supervised the 57-month project. Modi laid the foundation on 31 Oct 2013. L&T won the contract and began work in 2014. ₹1,347 crore was for the main statue build. Sadhu Bet hillock was lowered for the base. L&T used 210,000m³ concrete, 18,500t steel. Bronze cladding was cast in China, assembled. Locals opposed land use; demands accepted. Modi inaugurated the statue on 31 Oct 2018.
Features
The statue stands on a 3.2 km river island. It has five zones; three open to visitors. A museum details Patel’s life and legacy. An audio-visual gallery highlights his work. The legs house elevators reaching 153m high. A viewing gallery at 153m fits 200 people. The site spans 2 hectares with a 12 km lake. The outer structure uses 1,700 tonnes bronze.
Tourism
Over 128,000 tourists visited the statue in the first eleven days of its opening to the public on 1 November 2018. In its first year of operation, the Statue of Unity attracted 2,900,000 visitors and collected ₹82 crore ($11.64M) in ticket revenue. By 15 March 2021, 5 million tourists visited the venue. It was visited by 10 million people by November 2022. In five years since opening, the statue attracted over 15 million visitors.
| Years | Visitors |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 450.000 |
| 2019 | 2.7 million |
| 2020 | 1.2 million |
| 2021 | 3.4 million |
| 2022 | 4.6 million |
| 2023 | 5 million |
The founders
Over the years
Before & After