Prime Minister Modi Dedicates ‘Statue Of Unity’ To Nation 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today dedicated a 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to the nation. The Statue of Unity is believed to be the tallest in the world, and will be a reminder of the courage of a man who thwarted efforts to disintegrate India, Modi said.

Gujarat Governor OP Kohli, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and BJP chief Amit Shah were present at the unveiling of the 'Statue of Unity'. The ceremony coincided with Patel's 143rd birth anniversary.

If Sardar Patel had not united the country, we would need visas to see lions or pay homage at Somnath or view the Charminar in Hyderabad, the prime minister said. He added that the statue will remind those who question India's existence that this nation was, is and will remain eternal.

He described the Statue of Unity as a symbol of the country's engineering and technical capabilities. The imposing monument is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty in the U.S.. Patel's statue is built on an islet, near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat's Narmada district.

Over 70,000 tonnes of cement, 18,500 tonnes of reinforcement steel, 6,000 tonnes of structural steel was used for the construction of the statue. The newly inaugurated figure also has 1,700 metric tonnes of bronze which was used for the outer cladding of the structure.