Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil the bronze statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Kevadia in Narmada district on Wednesday, on the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.

At 182 metres, the ‘Statue of Unity’, facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam, is nearly double the height of the Statue of Liberty in New York and taller than the Spring Temple of Buddha in China, which had held the record at 153 metres.

A viewing gallery has been set up at a height of 135 metres, which can accommodate 200 visitors. The Statue of Unity, set up under the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust, has been constructed at a cost of ₹2,989 crore (approx $407 million) in less than four years. In his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, Modi termed the Statue of Unity as a pride for every Indian. “This is the world’s tallest sky-scraping statue. Every Indian will now be proud to see the world’s tallest statue here on Indian soil. Sardar Patel, a true son of the soil will adorn our skies too,” Modi said.

The Gujarat government-led celebrations gripped the State under Ekta Yatra, which spread awareness about Sardar Patel, the statue and the event being held at Kevadia on Wednesday. The Yatra, mostly led by either MLAs of the region or one of the Gujarat government ministers, covered villages and cities with chariots carrying replica of the Statue of Unity and a group of bikers with DJs following them.

Built by engineering major Larsen & Toubro Ltd, the statue will be treated as the largest memorial to the ‘Iron Man of India’. More then 70,000 tonnes of cement, 24,000 tonnes of steel and about 1,700 tonnes of bronze have gone into its construction.

About 15,000 tourists are expected to visit the statue daily.

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