Statue of Unity: The inner story of how the giant stands tall
How Sardar Patel's giant statue in Gujarat, to be inaugurated by the prime minister on October 31, overcame engineering challenges to stand tall.
It isn't until one stands below the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on Sadhu Bet island on the Narmada that the enormity of the creation hits home. The 182 metre tall Statue of Unity-twice the size of the Statue of Liberty-will be the world's tallest statue once it's ready, a sheer marvel of engineering being pieced together by an army of over 3,000 workers, including 300 engineers from infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T). The statue is to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31 to coincide with the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.
As Gujarat chief minister, Modi had announced the project in 2010 ahead of the civic elections in Ahmedabad. Then it was seen as a mere pre-poll sop. Eight years on, the
