Is “Statue of Unity” a waste of Money?
Back in the 90s, there was a time when we use to watch & read about Statue of Liberty being tallest statue in the world also known as "Pride of America" followed by Rio Dio Janeiro's ‘Christ the Redeemer’, Spring Temple Buddha statue in China and many other. Structures like these are not just a tourist attraction. Different people perceive it differently. For some, it's a political move, some may look at it as an indicator of economic growth, some may not look at it beyond a tourist attraction but I see Statue of Unity as a message to the world that we are not behind. I see "Statue of Unity" as an invitation to the world to come and witness the diversity and unity of a progressing nation.
Often I read and see people discussing how Rs. 2989 Crores (Budget of Statue of Unity) were wasted on the building of “Statue of Unity”. That money could have been used in the welfare of people, agriculture, education etc. I feel it’s not a waste of money because the poverty and infrastructure issues will remain as it is regardless of whatever amount of money the government allocate for its development. The real issue at hand is population and all the problems can be traced back to the population. You cover one hole in a sinking ship another will pop up. It’s never going to end unless we tackle the problem at its origin
Similar opinions were doing rounds when the idea of bringing the metro rail project in Delhi was proposed. Some said it’s better to invest in the public bus transport system and the same arguments were made when the bullet train project idea was proposed. If we keep aiming at basic hygiene, we will never be able to build something meaningful or something for which we will be remembered. We need to invest in creating our heritage, something which we will leave behind for the next generations.
Where is the Statue of Unity?
Statue of Unity is located on a beautiful river island known as "Sadhu bet". The mammoth statue offers a panoramic view of the Sarovar dam and surrounding lush green fields. It will mesmerize you from miles away. The Engineering Marvel "Statue of India" is twice the size of the Statue of Liberty.
Its 182 meters high and also tallest statue built in the shortest span of time in the whole world is one good reason to call it the "Pride of India".
Not long ago China's Spring Temple Buddha Statue was the tallest statue in the world but on 31st October this fact became history when India's Ïron Man' Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue was unveiled. Surrounded with a 12 km long artificial lake formed by Garudeshwar weir on the Narmada river, Statue of Unity is a sight to behold.
Who was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel?
Before the Statue of Unity, I knew that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a freedom fighter, holding the title of "Iron Man of India" but had no clue about what was his contribution. How he got a frigging sky high world tallest statue on his name 😮. I mean why not Mahatma Gandhi? He is a well-known legend even in the remotest parts of the world.
This is What I found out
If it wasn't for this guy, we would still need passports to travel within India. He was the man who brought 565 princely states together to form one country and averted the balkanization of India. Despite the old age and failing health, he never lost sight of a dream of united India. It wasn't an easy job as Nawab of Junagadh, Nizam of Hyderabad and many other princely states were opposed to the idea of United India. After much hard work and determination, the dream of one India and united India came true. Hence, the Statue of Unity on his name.
5. The statue of Unity is designed by Ram V. Sutar who holds Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards that speaks volumes about his work.
Interesting facts about the Statue of Unity
1. Statue of Unity movement was driven to reach out masses to support the construction of the Statue. Iron was collected through out the country and special mention to farmers who donated their old farming tools. A whopping 135 metric tonnes of scrapped iron was collected out of which 109 tonnes were used in the foundation of the statue.
2. On 15th December 2013, Marathon "Run for Unity" was organized in Vadodara and Surat to support the Statue of Unity project.
3. Statue of Unity is built to withstand a wind speed of 180 km/hr, an earthquake up to 6.5 on the Richter scale and built strong enough to withstand many other disasters for 1000 years.
4. It took 11 years to build now "second tallest Spring Temple Buddha statue in China" whereas the Statue of Unity was built in 3 and a half years only.
How to Reach Statue of Unity
Nearest Airport to Statue of Unity: Vadodara
Nearest Railway Station to Statue of Unity; Vadodara Station
Opening details of Statue of Unity;
Statue of Unity is open from Tuesday to Sunday. It remains closed on Monday.
Timings: 9 am to 5 pm
Ticket Bookings for Statue of Unity:
The ticket is not required for children below 3 years.
Children between 3 years to 15 years age: Entry ticket is 60 Rs plus 30 Rs (Bus Charges). Observation deck view costs Rs 230 (including bus charges of 30 Rs.)
Adults need to pay an Entry ticket of Rs. 150 (including bus charges of Rs. 30) and Rs. 380 for Observation Deck view (including bus charges of Rs. 30).
Click here for more details related to ticketing and directions for Statue of Unity
👉 Official website of The Statue of Unity
Also, Read
Click here for more details related to ticketing and directions for Statue of Unity
👉 Official website of The Statue of Unity
Conclusion
There may be a lot of people against the Statue of Unity, calling it a waste of money, politically motivated move and what not but I am happy that we built something after a long time. Ever since we got our independence which is more than 7 decades now, we have not built anything of this size and scale which can put us on a global index. If not anything, the Statue of Unity gives us a chance to brag about our country is home to the tallest statue in the world.
Add Statue of Unity in your bucket list after all its a unique structure and the tallest statue in the world. It also adds one more good reason to have Gujarat in your travel bucket list
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