Gujarat is a state on the western coast of India & It is the fifth largest Indian state by area and the ninth largest state by population. Its capital city is Gandhinagar, while its largest city is Ahmedabad.
This is my destination which is Standing high with pride at the height of 182 meters, a tribute to the ‘Iron Man of India’, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who united India.
I'm very excited to share this blog with you please read it till the end and plan your trip accordingly.
I packed my backpack and started my journey from Kolkata to SoU and my excitement level was on top because I'm heading to witness this marvellous masterpiece. We all know numbers don’t lie but just numbers didn’t give us an idea, it will only create an image or questions in mind, about how big the Statue of Unity is. To understand their true meaning we had to feel them.
Viewing Gallery inside SoU
Let's start with some interesting facts related to SoU.
• Statue of Unity has become the tallest statue of the world & it is five times taller than the Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil & d twice the height of the Statue of Liberty in the USA.
• Sadhu bet island has selected to build SoU, which is the fifth-longest river in the Indian subcontinent, Narmada & It is built approximately 3.5 km south of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, which is the second-largest concrete gravity dam (in terms of volume) in the world.
• The statue is visible from a radius of approx 7 kilometres.
• The Statue of Unity has a viewing gallery inside of the chest (which is at the height of 153m). It can hold up to 200 visitors and provides a mesmerising view of Narmada Dam.
• The statue has two lifts near the legs, each can carry 26 people.
• The complex has a separate zone for all the selfie lovers
• It is built in less than five years.
• It includes a state-of-the-art museum that comprises audio-visual exhibits depicting the life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• The site has also Tent City, a luxurious nature resort built in the shadow of the Statue of Unity. The perfect place to experience the beauty of the Narmada Valley, the Tent City can house over 500 tourists in its luxurious facilities.
• ‘Statue of Unity’ is accompanied by the ‘Valley of Flowers’. There is also a laser show on the Unification of India.
• Under ‘Loha’ campaign, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust was assigned the task for arranging 129 tonnes of iron implements from 100 million farmers in more than 150,000 villages in India.
• The sculptor is carved by the Padma Bhushan awardee Ram V Sutar and the Chinese foundry, Jiangxi Toqine Company done the work of bronze cladding. The final bronze replica, measuring 30 ft, was handed over to L&T
How to reach the 'Statue of Unity'
Statue of Unity address: Sardar Sarovar Dam, Kevadiya Village Narmada, Gujarat.
Statue of Unity Location
About a 100 kilometre from Vadodara, 200 kilometres from the capital Ahmedabad, and about 420 kilometres from Mumbai, the various ways to reach the site is by self-driving 0r by local taxi.
Transportation Facilities
GSRTC bus services connect major cities like Ahmedabad, Vadodra, Rajkot, Surat to Statue of Unity.
There are buses (AC/Non AC) operated by GSRTC directly from these cities to Statue of Unity.
You can book ticket & get more details on buses routes through online Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) website https://gsrtc.in/site/
Nearest Airport :- Vadodara Airport
Distance &time :- 1 h 40 min (94.9 km) via GJ SH 63
Nearest Railway station:-Vadodara railway station is the nearest railhead to the Sardar Patel statue. You can get on public transport or book a cab to take you directly to the site.
Distance & time:- 1 h 40 min (94.9 km) via GJ SH 631 h 46 min (90.7 km) via GJ SH 11 and GJ SH 63
Nearest Bus stand:- Kevadia colony bus stand which in the Narmada district, and the statue is only 3.5 kilometres from there.
If you are coming by bus then most of the buses will drop you outside Shrestha Bharat Bhavan campus.
Shrestha Bharat Bhavan:-
This is a 3-star hotel with all modern amenities, cafeteria, and conference facilities which is adjacent to the Statue of Unity.
For the tourist, AC bus services are also available from Shrestha Bharat Bhavan campus to statue of Unity.
Inside Shrestha Bharat Bhavan campus ATM & Cloak room facilities are also available.
Other accommodation facilities are also available like BRG Budget Accommodation, Sardar Sarovar Resort, SBB Ramada, Tent City 1, Tent city 2 and you can book through online SOU website http://www.soutickets.in/.
Statue of Unity Ticket Booking
You can get the ticket directly from Shrestha Bharat Bhavan & SoU ticketing centre (inside SoU complex) or through online SoU website http://www.soutickets.in/.
Important note:- If you booked SoU ticket through online, only downloaded PDF (Hard copy or Soft copy) of the e-ticket is valid.
If you have a screenshot of e-ticket in mobile it may put you in trouble while entering inside SoU premises.
Ticket Categories:
SoU Express entry:- This is basically and quick entry to avoid standing in a queue to viewing gallery in addition to SoU entry, complimentary access to light and sound show, Valley of flowers, Sardar Sarovar Dam viewpoints and Bus services.
Ticket price:- 1030/Ticket for adult & child
SoU viewing Gallery:- You can access to viewing gallery in addition to SoU entry, complimentary access to light and sound show, Valley of flowers, Sardar Sarovar Dam viewpoints and Bus services.
Ticket price:- 380INR/Ticket for adult & 230INR/Ticket for child
SoU entry ticket:- You can only access Museum, Audio Visual Gallery & complimentary access to light and sound show, Valley of flowers, Sardar Sarovar Dam viewpoints and Bus service.
You can't access Viewing gallery.
Ticket price:- 150INR/Ticket for adult & 90INR/Ticket for child
SoU Foreigner VG:- Express entry to the Viewing Gallery, SoU entry, complimentary access to light and sound show, Valley of flowers, Sardar Sarovar Dam viewpoints and Bus service.
Ticket price:- 1530INR/Ticket for adult & 830INR/Ticket for child
Ticket price may increase or decrease before planing check the updated/current price in SoU official website (Link already provided)
You can book tickets for tourists attractions like Jungle safari, River rafting at Khalwani, Riverfront cycling, Riverfront couple cycling, Riverfront electric cycling, children nutrition park, Arogya Van wellness centre, Sardar Sarovar Nauka Vihar(Boating).
SoU timings:-
Opens at 9:00 AM to Closes at 6:00 PM
Working days:- Tuesday through Sunday (Monday closed)
The best month to visit:- October to March is the best time to visit the Statue of Unity.
Facilities inside SoU campus.
Food court, Free drinking water, Escalator services are available for tourists to make them comfortable.
Other important things everyone should know before going to SoU.
After completion of SoU campus tour, buses will take you to Valley of flowers(Unity glow garden included), Sardar Sarovar Dam viewpoints.
Must visit Ekta Mall.
Ekta Mall:-
The very name Ekta Mall, symbolises unity in diversity, a hallmark of Indian culture. Here at Ekta Mall, handlooms, handicrafts and traditional textile showrooms as been opened from various states of India have come together to promote Indian Handicratfs, at a location that stands for unity and national integration. The Mall is spread over 35,000 square feet area.
Please do visit SoU with your friends & family to be the witness of this marvellous masterpiece.
If you want to know any other information related to SoU trip, please comment or feel free to contact me on abhishek.ganguly11@gmail.com.
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