Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday dedicated to the nation the 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the tallest in the world, and said it will be a reminder about the courage of a man who thwarted efforts to disintegrate India.
The Statue of Unity at 182 metres is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty in the United States and is built on an islet, Sadhu Bet, near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat's Narmada district. Photograph: @PMOIndia/Twitter
At the unveiling of the statue, the PM said had Sardar Patel not united the country, we would need visas to see lions or pay homage at Somnath or view the Charminar in Hyderabad. Photograph: @PMOIndia/Twitter
The statue has been built using over 70,000 tonnes of cement, 18,500 tonnes of reinforcement steel, 6,000 tonnes of structural steel and 1,700 metric tonnes of bronze, which was used for the outer cladding of the structure. Photograph: @PMOIndia/Twitter
A viewing gallery has been created at a height of 135 metres inside the statue to enable tourists to have a view of the dam and nearby mountain ranges. Photograph: @PMOIndia/Twitter