BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will lay foundation stone of the world’s tallest statue of Sardar Patel on Thursday to mark 138th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.
Considered as brainchild of Gujarat Chief Minister Modi, the tallest statue will be known as ‘Statue of Unity’ and it is set to be constructed near Sardar Sarovar Dam. The 182-metre tall statue of Sardar Patel is a tribute to the ‘Iron man of India’. The first phase, for which bids have already been invited, is estimated to cost around `2,060 crore.
The statue will be erected at Sadhubet, about 3.32 km far from Sardar Sarovar dam. The place is expected to emerge as a world-class tourist place. In a unique approach, a drive will be launched on October 31 for collecting discarded iron farm tools from the farmers all over India for the making of the statue.
The idea behind collecting iron is to build statue of iron man of India is to pay tribute to Patel’s pivotal role in dissolving the then princely states in one united India, said a senior official in Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam limited (SSNl) adding that Gujarat Chief Minister made it a resolve to build the statue of Sardar Patel so that the name of this great son of India is remembered for ages to come.
The statue will be three times taller than America’s iconic ‘Statue of liberty’. This statue is to be constructed under Public Private Partnership (PPP) model and envisaged to render excellent platform for research and developmental activities.
Further, onlookers will avail benefit to adore the wonderful scenery of Sardar dam through the spectator gallery built at the height of 450-feet. There will be audio visual gallery, laser light and sound show demonstrating the life of Sardar Patel, virtual tour explaining an array of aspects of Sardar Sarovar Project, agriculture development, water management and scheduled tribe upliftment programmes and many more.
A museum and an exhibition centre demonstrating the farsightedness and contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel will be the main attractions of the venue. Ferry services will also be made available to help the visitors reach the statue.