15 Fascinating Facts About Statue of Unity You Probably Don’t Know

On 31 October 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the “Statue of Unity” in memory of the great Indian Leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Today, we have completed four years since that moment, and it is an honour that our work of art is being admired all over the world. Tons of tourists from different origins visit here every day.

But do you know, what it took in creating the world’s tallest statue? If you don’t, here are some interesting facts and stats about the “Statue of Unity” that will leave you shocked.

Facts About Statue of Unity You Probably Don’t Know

1. First Announcement

On 7th October 2010, PM Narendra Modi shared his vision of creating a statue of the first Deputy Prime Minister of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He was serving as CM of Gujrat back then.

2. Tallest in the World

Statue of Unity is the tallest statue on this entire planet right now. It is said to be 182 meters high, which is twice the height of most famous Statue of Liberty.

China’s Spring Temple Buddha had that title before it.

3. Mastermind Behind the Project

Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee, Ram V. Sutar is the mastermind designer of this grand statue. He had also designed so many other famous sculptures before it, especially the bust of Mahatma Gandhi.

Thereafter, the project was implemented by the infrastructure giant, Larsen & Turbo (L&T).

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4. Took Only Three and a Half Years to Complete

Apart from its height, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue is the first to be built in the shortest period. The completion of the project took only three and a half years.

The 42 months deadline was set by the government, and L&T delivered as they promised.

5. Situated on the Island

This Statue of Unity is situated on the Sandhu Island of Narmada River which is around 3 km away from Sardar Sarovar Dam.

It is one of the most interesting facts about the Statue of Unity because that was not easy to make this massive statue on a tiny island.

6. Number of Engineers and Workers

To build the tallest statue in the shortest period, the Statue of Unity required huge human resources. But can you imagine how much?

The statue took 250 engineers and 3,400 workers to build it in three and a half years.

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7. Too Much Costly

Talking of its budget, the government of India spent Rs 2989 Crores on the statue. And the most important thing, it is not the most expensive statue.

8. Quantity of Material Used

People are always curious to know the quantity of material used in the Statue of Unity. So, here it is.

The material includes 90,000 tonnes of cement, 25,000 tonnes of iron, 5,700 tonnes of structural steel, and 1,850 tonnes of bronze cladding.

Besides it, 565 macro and 6,000 micro panels were also used in the statue.

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9. Statue Design

Before making the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a team of artists, historians and academics did a lot of research on his statues across India.

Thereafter, they decided to take the design from Patel’s statue situated at Ahmedabad International Airport.

Ram V. Sutra’s son Anil Sutra said “the expression, posture and pose justify the dignity, confidence, iron will as well as kindness that his personality exudes. The head is up, a shawl flung from shoulders, and hands are on the side as if he is set to walk.”

10. Strength & Age

Do you know, the Statue of Unity is strong enough to resist high winds of a velocity upto 60 meters per second? Besides this, it can also withstand earthquakes over 6.5 on the Richter scale.

As per the reports, the statue will not be affected by any natural cause for the next 30 years. But after this, it will turn green colour from dull brown.

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