World's Tallest Statue Built in India (Video)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today, dedicated to the nation a 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, believed to be the tallest in the world and said it will be a reminder about the courage of a man who thwarted efforts to disintegrate India.

In his speech, Modi stressed that the statue would generate immense employment opportunities for the local tribals living near the dam in Narmada district.

 Gujarat's governor OP Kohli, chief minister Vijay Rupani and BJP chief Amit Shah were also present at the unveiling of the Statue of Unity.

PM Modi described the Statue of Unity as a symbol of the country's engineering and technical capabilities.

To welcome visitors, the Gujarat government has not only built a 3-star hotel, shopping centre and a research centre in the Sardar Patel statue complex, but has also built high-speed elevators that will take you to a height of about 400 feet through the core of the statue where you can get a panoramic view of the surroundings.

What is unique about the statue?

Apart from being the world's tallest statue, it also holds the distinction of being among the fastest to be completed -just 34 months unlike China's Spring Temple Buddha which took 11 years.

The work began on December 19, 2015.

The imposing monument is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty in the US and is built on an islet, Sadhu Bet, around 3.5 km downstream from the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat's Narmada district.

The best way to reach Sadhu Bet island is to take a boat ride.

Built at a cost of Rs. 2,989 crore, the statue...