“ Just by a common endeavour we can raise the country to greater heights, while the lack of unity can expose us to fresh and new calamities.”
–Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Iron Man of India
The statement above is true to its word. It is a true fact that without Unity there is no strength, but with unity, there is peace, harmony and strength. I am sure you all have been familiar with the famous phrase – ” United we stand, divided we fall”. Our unity is our one and only strength and the reason why we are strong as one nation in front of the world is because there were people in history who had done so much so as to keep this country united and one of them, we all know about is known as the ‘Iron man of India’, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. A monument is dedicated to him which is known as ‘Statue of Unity’. With 182 metres as it’s height, it is the TALLEST statue in the world. The height of the statue is almost 182 meters, thereby matching the number of assembly constituencies in the Indian State, Gujarat.
LOCATION OF THE STATUE OF UNITY:
The sky scraping, statue holds still on the top of Sadhu bet island, facing Sardar Sarovar dam on the river Narmada ,in the state of Gujarat , India. The statue s divided into five zones, but just three zones are fully visible to the public to see the statue. The first zone includes the exhibition area and memorial garden. The second zone is up to Patel’s thighs and viewing gallery at the height of 153 metres comprises the third zone. The rest of the zones are built for the maintenance of the statue and it’s top. Statue of Unity illustrates the Iron Man’s strong personality. In this statue he has been seen wearing a beautiful dhoti, his head has been lifted and a shawl on his shoulders. His hands are on his both sides and he is wearing a pair of sandals. The weight of the height of the statue and other measures have been decided in such a way that it is maintained even in the harshest unfavourable climatic conditions and earthquakes.
ABOUT OUR SARDAR VALLABHBHAI PATEL:
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was born on 31st October 1875 in Nadiad District Kheda and He became a successful Barrister and was a leading Congressman and a social activist as well as a very excellent orator. He was close to Mahatma Gandhi and he also participated in Non cooperation movement, Civil disobedience movement and also leaded the movements in the absence of Mahatma Gandhi. He was also a well-known prominent leader of the Indian National Movements. He also participated in Kheda Satyagraha in which he along with some of his colleagues organised tax revolts and also gave moral support to the peasants. He played a major role in leading steep tax hikes in Bardoli. After the success of Bardoli Satyagraha Civil Disobedient Movement, the title of ‘Sardar’ was conferred to Patel by the women of Bardoli. He is a well-known leader who is respected and admired for the unification of 562 princely states into the republic of India, which may seem an easy job now ,but definitely it was an arduous task to do so and that too without any bloodsheds. In 1991,he was awarded with the highest civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’. Every year 31st October (Patel jayanti) is observed as ‘National Unity Day’ since 2014 . The current prime minister and the then Chief minister of Gujarat ‘Shri Narendra Modi’ on 7 Oct 2013 announced this project to commemorate Sardar Patel .and this project was labelled as “Gujarat’s tribute to the nation”. October 31st 2018 marked the inauguration of the towering ‘statue of unity’, and since then, every year on 31st October, PM Narendra Modi visits ‘Statue of Unity’ to pay tribute to the great Patel on the occasion of his birthday anniversary.
HOW HAS MAN CREATED ALL THESE STATUES?
Man is a member of the animal world in this Earth, however, they are totally different from the other species on the planet because they have the capacity to observe, analyse and experiment far better than the other species that are existing in today’s world. We, humans have explored, over exploited and modified the gifts of nature as per our own wishes and daily needs and changed many things from its original form in which they were existing on Earth. We have built millions of sky scrapes, overhead bridges, and many statutes and monuments all across the Earth wherever we went. Early humans couldn’t explain things and their emotions in words and languages to others, so they started to draw and paint on the walls of the caves, build various historical monuments as a witness for their descendants to remember it for all the time to come. Some of the fine examples of historical monuments that humans have built in various parts of the world are as follows: Stonehenge (Wiltshire, England), Sigiriya (Sri Lanka), Cenotes (Mexico), Pyramids of Giza (Egypt), The Great Wall of China (China), Moai (Easter Island), The Roman Forum (Rome, Italy), Petra (Jordan) and many others. Among all of these, human beings have also built some statutes across the world which has great importance in today’s world.
IMPORTANCE OF STATUES:
What is a statue? A statue is a sculpture carved or made by people representing a person or persons or a very special event of a particular country or a civilization. A statue represents someone or something very particular and is very close to life-size or larger. The most common of all statues in this world are the ones made to represent historical figures and historical events which happened in the ancient times. Statues of Mahatma Gandhi and His life are almost in each and every major city of India and the last supper of Christ Jesus with his Disciples is something that depicts a very important event in Christianity. Some statues are also intended as public art and these are generally exhibited outdoors or at museums where they can be seen by the people all over the world. Some statues themselves become historical statutes. A good example for a historical statue in the world is the Statue of Liberty. It is built to commemorate the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, which was given to the United States by the people of France to represent the friendship between the two countries during the American Revolution which occurred in colonial North America between 1765 to 1783. To mark the one-hundredth anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, a three day centennial celebration was held in 1986. All the great statues around the world were invited to the birthday party and many giant puppets were created to represent them. Different handmade statues of Gods are placed in temples across the world and are generally very huge. Statues are wonderful way to pay homage to the great people and leaders around the world who risked their lives to protect their country from the enemies or for the Gods in the temples. But once they are erected, over a period of time they lose all their importance and hard work which the people had to bear to make them. Many of these statues end up being chipped and are used by birds as a perch to defecate. It is really sad and a very bad thing to see the statues of such great people and leaders being put to such use. At many times the rival groups torch these beautiful statues to vandalize and desecrate them. In such situations, people are forced to believe that statutes should be kept in the museums where they can be looked after and maintained well. This reduces the popularity of the statues and no one will even come to visit and see them. Therefore, it is extremely important that we do not destroy these beautiful statues to preserve them for the future generations after us, so that they can see these statues and learn something from the great leader’s life.
Some Statues around the world:
While we have seen what statues are and their importance for the people around the world, let us now know about the top ten statues around the world along with a brief note about their heights, shapes and the places where they are constructed. The top ten breathtaking statues around the world are as follows:
1.The Statue of Liberty, New York:
Regarded as one of the famous and the foremost sculptures in the world, the most famous Statue of Liberty was gifted to the United States from the people of France. The statue has been with the United States since the aftermath American Revolution which occurred in the colonial North America in 1886 and till today, it stands as an insignia of liberty and democracy. The most attractive part of the statue which is the statue’s copper torch was later replaced 24-carat gold torch which is noticeable from a distance. It was the most beautiful and attractive statue in those days.
The most popular features of the Statue Of Liberty: One of the most popular features of the Statue of Liberty is that it has a 225-ton weight, and it is 305 feet, and 6 inches in height, number of steps from the head to the pedestal counts 154, and the tablet reads JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776).
2.Christ The Redeemer, Rio De Janeiro:
Very well-known as one of the most famous and religious statues in the world, Christ The Redeemer is made of concrete and soapstone. It was built in Rio De Janeiro during 1922-31. The statue sits atop of the Corcovado mountain in the most famous and attractive Tijuca Forest National Park, and today, it is regarded as one of the prominent attractions in Brazil as well as South America. We can reach the statue in a number of ways, one of them is by train which is believed to be the most scenic means of transport to reach the statue.
The most popular features of Christ The Redeemer: One of the most popular features of this statue is that it is 30 meters tall excluding the 8-meter pedestal, 28 meters arm stretch, and 635 metric tons heavy.
3.The Little Mermaid, Denmark:
This is one of the most popular statues of the world that must be visited. This is a bronze statue that rests on a rock by the waterfront at Langelinie promenade in Copenhagen, Denmark. The statue is a fine piece of art designed by the artist, Edvard Eriksen is yet another of the famous sculptures in the world that must be visited by people.
The most popular features of the Little Mermaid: One of the features of this statue is that the statue stands 1.25 m tall and measures 175 kg in weight.
4.The Thinker, Paris:
Another creative and beautiful statue around the world is The Thinker which is built in Paris. The Thinker is a beautiful bronze sculpture made by Auguste Rodin which is placed on a stone pedestal. The work shows a nude male figure of over life-size sitting on a rock with his chin resting on one hand and he appears to be thinking something. The Thinker was originally called The Poet by the people and was conceived as part of The Gates of Hell which was initially a commission for a pair of bronze doors to a planned museum of decorative arts in the heart of Paris. The statue is surrounded on all sides by a lush greenery of sprawling garden and a museum.
The most popular features of The Thinker: The Thinker Statue was first displayed in 1880. It is widely believed that the statue was originally intended to depict Dante at the gates of Hell, pondering his great poem.
5.The David Statue, Italy:
Of all the classics of the Renaissance era, The David Statue made by Michaelangelo is one of the finest creative statues ever built. Carved out of pure white marble, this naked sculpture, located in Firenze in Italy, is certainly one of the famous sculptures in today’s world that observe a huge number of tourist every year. Today, the statue of Michaelangelo represents Italy as one the most perfect place in the world in exhibiting the Renaissance art.
The most popular features of the David Statue: One of the most fantastic features of this statue is that the statue which is standing 5.17 m tall was made by Michelangelo between 1501-1504.
6.The Terrace of the Lions, Delos, Greece:
This statue, which is famed for being the birthplace of Apollo and his sister Artemis, Terrace of the Lions is one of the most remarkable archaeological site on Delos Island that one should visit at least once an year. Dating back to the ancient times, this is one of the most famous statues in the world which one must visit. The Terrace of the Lions is actually a series of 12 stone lions places in the exact position that are believed to be built by the people of Naxos in the honour of the great Apollo. Some of these beautiful and creative statues have weathered over the years because of the climatic changes which prevail on the Earth. As of now, the actual feline figures have been moved to the nearby museum by the people so that no other statue gets damaged or destroyed by the wind currents.
The Most popular features of Terrace of the Lions: One of the most fascinating features is that the replica of marble statues of lions, as many as 16, from 600 BC stand in a correct sequence.
7.The Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt:
One of the most famous statues in the world, The Great Sphinx of Giza, located in Egypt is a massive work of art that depicts a human head mounted on a massive lion body and the point to note is that, the whole statue is made out of limestone! The best time to see this beautiful statue is at sunset when the slanting rays of the sun fall directly on the statue with scattered clouds.
The most popular features of The Great Sphinx Of Giza: One of the most notable features of this statue is that the statue is carved from the bedrock of the Giza plateau, Sphinx a 73 m X 20 m single ridge of limestone. It is one of the largest single-stone statues in the world, since 1905 people got to see the complete body of the Sphinx, which was covered in sand just after it was built.
8.The Motherland Calls Statue, Russia:
One of the breathtaking statues in the world, this monumental statue in Russia was built in the honour of The Battle of Stalingrad. It is built on the bank of the river Volga and is about 85 meters tall. It is built on the Mamayev Hill where a memorial exists in the memory of the heroes of the battle who gave up their lives to save and protect the others. It is such an inspirational statue to many sculptors and statues from across the world because of its unusual structure challenging the geometry. It represents the statue of a woman(Motherland) walking with a raised sword calling on to her sons and daughters to stand up for the battle and repulse their enemy. The most unique feature of this statue is that the visitors have to walk up 200 stairs to reach the statue as it signifies the 200 days of battle. The statue has been recently reported tilting a little due to the groundwater movement that is, in turn, shifting the foundation on which it stands.
The most popular features of the Motherland Calls Statue: One of the most interesting features of this statue is that it stands 85 meters(279 ft) in the air and tip of the sword reaches higher into the air. It is most popular tourist destination where people from around the world come to visit this statue.
9.The Spring Temple Buddha, China:
Situated at 128 m high above the ground, The Spring Temple Buddha stands as the world’s second tallest statue. It took almost 11 years to complete this massive structure along with the beautiful statue comprising of 1100 copper casts. It is fascinating to know that the statue standing on a 20 m tall lotus throne is located in Henan province in China and the spring by the temple inspires its name. Such is the charisma of this beautiful and attractive statue that it would leave you spellbound for sure. Besides being the second tallest statue, it is also a popular pilgrimage place as compared to other Buddhist temples and monasteries.
The most popular features of Spring Temple Buddha: Among the many other features of this beautiful and religious statue, the lotus-shaped pedestal also houses a monastery.
10.The Statue of Unity, India:
We have had an insight about the top nine statues based on their heights, shapes and in which part of the world they are located. Now, it’s time to talk about the one and only tallest statue of the world till date! Yes, you guessed it right! It’s none other than the statue of The Iron man of India- Sadar Vallabhbhai Patel, The Statue of Unity built in the pride of our country, India. This 182 meters tall Bronze statue of the Iron Man of India-Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is the tallest statue in the whole world. As compared to the statues of the world, The Statue of Unity is the world’s tallest and record-breaking statue. Renowned as the architect of modern India who united 562 Princely States to make the Republic of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the first Deputy Prime Minister of independent India and he is fondly known as ‘the Iron Man of India’ who worked for the welfare of our poor farmers. This statue is built in the memory of the great Indian leader and activist, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel whose life has benefitted about crores of poor farmers who could not even buy the bread and butter for their families.
Why is ‘STATUE OF UNITY’ the world’s tallest statue?
We have seen the top ten breathtaking, wonderful statues around the world and had a view about the world’s tallest statue, ‘The Statue of Unity’. Now, it’s time to talk about why is ‘Statue of Unity’ the world’s tallest statue. Before we go deeper into topic, let us first know some unknown facts about the ‘Statue of Unity’. Here are some of the unknown facts about ‘The Statue of Unity’:
1)The Statue of Unity is the World’s Tallest Statue standing 182 metres high above the ground. Another interesting fact is that it towers over China’s Spring Temple Buddha statue by 29 metres and the world famous Statue of Liberty by 89 metres. The height of the base of Statue of Unity is almost 58 metres!
2) Yet another interesting fact about this statue is that it faces the Narmada Dam and is located on a river island called Sadhu Bet near Rajpipla on the Narmada River.
3) It is said that the statue was built by 3000 workers including 300 engineers from Larsen and Toubro (L&T) within three and a half years only!
4) Around 129 tonnes of iron implements were obtained from nearly 100 million farmers in 169,000 villages across all states for making this huge statue. For the collection of iron for the statue ,the Gujarat state Government asked Indian farmers to contribute their old and used farming equipment and other drives for the fund collection for the statue were also started , although most of the money was raised by Gujarat state government.
5) Most importantly, the bronze cladding of the statue has been done by China’s Jiangxi Toqine Company and the innermost layer of this three-layered structure is made of reinforced cement concrete (RCC), steel and 8 mm bronze.
6) A Sad fact is that it is estimated that within the next ten years, the Statue of Unity will change from its original brown colour to green due to natural aging process, but there is nothing unusual in that. A fine example can be the Statue of Unity which was dull brown and will change green in the next ten years.
7) The most amazing fact is that the statue will be able to withstand earthquakes and wind speed up to around 100 km per second!
8) Another Breathtaking fact that you should see is that there are four high-speed lifts are fitted in the statue’s legs and each lift can carry 26 people to the top in just above 30 seconds!
9) The statue has a very beautiful viewing gallery at 153 metres away from where around 200 people can have a panoramic view of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, and the Satpura and Vindhyachal mountain ranges.
10) Last but not the least, A museum, a 3-star lodging facility, a food court, a beautiful memorial garden and a grand museum are part of the Statue of Unity. It is such a pride for India to have the world’s tallest statue ever built till date.
On Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s, The Iron Man’s 143rd birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the Statue of Unity – a bronze statue of India’s first home minister who is honoured for uniting 562 princely states into the Republic of India.
RUN FOR UNITY MARATHON:
A Marathon named as ‘For the Run for Unity’ was organized in Surat on December 15, 2013 to support the Statue of Unity project. Since then, this program is being organised every year on October 31 and is dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The Run for Unity was organized in the national capital when the statue of Unity was unveiled in Gujarat on October 31,2018. Union youth affairs minister and home minister Rajnath Singh flagged the program. It is estimated that about 12,000 people participated in the marathon.
‘STATUE OF UNITY’ AS A MASTERPIECE OF INDIAN ENGINEERING SKILLS:
The statue which is built as a tribute to Sardar Patel is not only the tallest ,but also the quickest to be completed within just 33 months time span. The design of Indian sculptor ‘Ram V Sutar’ was finalised for the construction of statue. It was a bit challenging task to make such a huge statue ,with its base being narrow which could have cost the monument it’s stability, but it was constructed with its slender most base and which can withstand 180 km per hour wind speed and can also survive earthquakes measuring up to 6.5 on the Richter scale. Isn’t this really amazing?
CONCLUSION:
Statue of Unity is indeed the symbol of unity and power. It reflects the true personality of Sardar Patel who was strong and courageous. The support and initiative of PM Narendra Modi, along with the general public, has also been appreciated. PM Modi sees this statue as inspiration for the people of our country and for our future generations. The Statue of Unity is slowly drawing the attention of the whole world. It is being appreciated for its beautiful long structure and architectural excellence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has definitely completed this project and added a wing to the nation’s hat. I am so proud to be a citizen of India and to say that “India is my own country”.
I would just like to sum this up by adding PM Modi’s views about Patel:
“ Our brave Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel used Kautilya’s wisdom and Shivaji Maharaja’s bravery to achieve the great feat of uniting India after partition. He did something that was unparalleled and something which people taught as impossible. From Kutch to Kohima, from Kashmir to the Kanyakumari, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel united our country. It is because this great person that we can travel to all the great sites and meet the great people of all the states within India without even a visa”
-Narendra Damodardas Modi, The PM of India
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