The Statue of Unity is a colossal statue of Indian statesman and independence activist Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950) who was the first Home minister of India and the chief adherent of Mahatma Gandhi during the non-violent Indian Independence movement; highly respected for his leadership in uniting the 562 princely states of India to form the single large Union of India. It is located in the state of Gujarat, India. It is the world’s tallest statue with a height of 182 metres (597 ft). It is located on a river island facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam on river Narmada in Kevadiya colony, 100 kilometres (62 mi) southeast of the city of Vadodara.[2]
The project was first announced in 2010 and the construction of statue started in October 2013 by Larsen & Toubro, who received the contract for ₹2,989 crore (US$420 million). It was designed by Indian sculptor Ram V. Sutar, and was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 October 2018, the 143rd anniversary of Patel’s birth.[3