The world’s tallest statue, the Statue of Unity, is a tribute to Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Independent India’s first home and deputy prime minister. Located on the banks of river Narmada near Kevadia in Gujarat, this imposing structure reaches a height of 182 meters(240m with the base), much taller than the 128 meters Spring Temple Buddha in China(208m with base) and well above the most famous statue in the world, the Statue of Liberty, New York at 46 meters(93m with the base). Finally, India has a statue that rivals the most famous statue in the world.
Lot of attractions built nearby
The scale of development near the statue is very impressive. Perhaps with the recognition that just the statue may not be enough to lure visitors consistently, multiple attractions and activities for children and adults alike have been built. The only challenge that I could see is maintaining the level of water in the Narmada river. Without doubt, the beauty of the statue is accentuated multiple times in the backdrop of a full flowing Narmada.
I was initially reluctant to write about any visit to the Statue of Unity. Why? Because I visited on a monday when it was closed! Monday is the weekly off for maintenance. Wonder how I missed such a basic detail. But fortunately, though I could not go up to the viewing gallery inside the statue, I had great views of the entire length of the statue from the other side of river Narmada. That made the entire journey worthwhile.
How to reach Statue of Unity(SoU)
The area around the statue is known as Ekta Nagar in the state of Gujarat. It was earlier called Kevadia. Ekta Nagar has been developed mainly for the visitors to the statue. A new railway station has been built here, but I am unaware of the timings and frequency of train service. Vadodara is the closest big town at a distance of about 90kms.
The most convenient option is to hire a taxi or drive down. From Vadodara, it takes about 2 hours to get to Statue of Unity. Little longer if driving in the night. I drove from Ahmedabad and while the expressway till Vadodara was excellent, the progress thereafter was a little slow but the roads were in fairly good condition throughout. However, the scenery is nothing much to write about and I spent most of the driving time watching a cricket world cup match on my mobile!
The SoU is also accessible from Surat.
Impressive location
The location of the statue on the banks of a perennial river is certainly impressive. But with a mega dam, Sardar Sarovar, next door and with a few more dams upstream, it would be an unlikely sight of the big river in full glory near the statue. I visited in November, just after the end of the rainy season and the water levels were low. The rocky river bed was clearly visible in few sections.
There is a viewing gallery inside the statue at a height of 135 meters(153 meters as per few websites) that can accommodate 200 people at a time. I missed it but I am sure it would provide a bird’s eye view of the Sardar Sarovar dam(looked rather ordinary to me) and the huge reservoir. The vegetation is not very thick but green enough to be scenic.
What else to see?
Apart from the statue, several other attractions have been developed. Check this link for a summary.
https://www.soutickets.in/#/attractions
Some of the attractions located on the same side of river Narmada as the SoU includes valley of flowers, unity glow garden, jungle safari, sardar sarovar dam view point and Dino trail(it is believed certain species of dinosaurs lived in the Narmada valley). I missed all these as the security posted near the New Gora bridge did not allow me to go any further on the statue of unity road.
Great views from the other side of Narmada
On the other side of the Narmada, there is a cactus garden from where one gets unhindered views of the statue as well as the sardar sarovar dam.
Then there is boating and river rafting in the Narmada river plus couple of other attractions such as a theme park for children(called children’s nutrition park and Miyawaki Forest.
In a nutshell, plenty to do for a family with children or just adults to be fully engaged. For those with deep pockets, a short helicopter ride is also an option.
What did I do?
At the first security check post, after an initial refusal, I was allowed to proceed to New Gora bridge upon request. Locals are allowed to commute but I guess I looked far from being a local in my attire. The security check post adjoining New Gora bridge did not allow me to proceed further on statue of unity road. So I went on to New Gora bridge. It appeared to be a new construction with pedestrian walkways on both the sides. The SoU was visible but at a distance and covered by a bit of mist. This was disappointing as apparent from the photo so I decided to cross over, turn left and drive further down along the bank of the river. Encountered another check post but they let me pass on request.
River bank is accessible
Before the cactus garden, there was a muddy path leading to the river. The rocky bed made it easy to walk along the banks of the river and I had clear views of the back, side as well as the front of the statue. I could see the grills near the chest portion which I presume houses the viewing gallery. The Dam too was clealy visible, and so was the Dino park. Could not have asked for the more.
Both the nursery and the cactus garden looked ok. I am not a big fan of visiting such gardens on an outstation trip unless there is something exotic. From inside the cactus garden, one gets a great view of both the statue and the dam. Apart from the flowing river of course.
I certainly think it is worth making a visit to this side of the Narmada, even if you go up to the viewing gallery inside the statue. Gives a different perspective from across the river.
Is day trip possible?
From Vadodara, yes. Bit tough from Surat or Ahmedabad. Arrive early, by 8.30am or so and leave after the sound and light show in the evening. But it would be ideal to stay overnight.
Tickets
There are 3-4 options including an express option that avoids queues for the viewing gallery. Entry fee ranges from INR 150 per adult without viewing gallery to INR 350 per adult for the viewing gallery. Express options cost well over INR 1k. Full day packages too are available.
One can also buy physical tickets at Shrestha Bharat Bhawan(Ramda hotel).
Where to stay
There are quite a few hotels in the vicinity. Options include tented accommodation, budget hotels, and even a houseboat. But just couple of higher end hotels such as Ramda or the likes of Comfort Inn. Budget accommodation will normally cost under INR 5k per night while the tented accommodation, especially those closer to the statue, costs INR 7k or higher per night. I stayed at the year old Comfort Inn that cost ~INR 5k for a double room with breakfast. Pretty good I must say.
It appears that the number of rooms available near SoU is not enough for the total number of visitors to the SoU. That keeps the room rents elevated.
When to visit?
I visited on a Monday and hence there was no crowd! But as per official information, over 5 million tourists visited SoU in the calendar year 2023. That is more than the visitors to Statue of Liberty in New York! Assuming 300 working days, over 16k tourists visit on an average per day. Holidays and Sundays can be busier than usual. As per reports, on Christmas eve, that is 24th December, 2023, ~80k tourists landed up. I guess on normal days, there would be ~10k visitors. Try to visit Tuesdays to Fridays. Given the area, even 10k might feel like a big crowd.
Despite the river, the average temperatures as per the official website ranges between 26° celsius to 28° celsius, with the high temperature above 30° celsius. It was certainly warm when I visited in November and the heat can be a bit of a dampner post noon.
The official guidance says it may take 1-3 hours just for the statue, including the viewing gallery. Best to book tickets online so as to eliminate uncertainty and plan visit to other attractions.
Moving around
There are E-Richshaws with fixed fares as well as buses. Private vehicles are not allowed close to the SoU but buses are available from the parking lots. Not sure if bus ride is free or included in the cost of the entry tickets.
Is Statue of Unity worth visiting?
Definitely yes. But given its location, it may not be worthwhile to plan a visit on a standalone basis. I visited because I was in Ahmedabad for a cricket world cup match and I could fly out of Vadodara. Most of the tour packages to Gujarat provide the option to visit SoU.
For more information
Statue of Unity official website
