What could be a better way to end the year 2018 than visiting the world’s tallest statue! This statue is a tribute to a man who created United India that we see today, which is also known for having the world’s largest democracy. We Indians feel proud to have ‘Statue of Unity’ named after Ironman of India Mr. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950) who fought rigorously to unite 562 princely states of India to form the single large Union of India.
As a passionate rider, it was a dream to ride to Statue of Unity and experience the glory, hence myself (Instagram) and a friend of mine, Sumit (Instagram) decided to ride to this place to achieve our last target of 2018.
The statue is getting an overwhelming response from across the world, hence all online tickets (https://www.soutickets.in) were sold out. So we had no choice but to purchase tickets onsite and to look for a hotel on the go.
Details of the Statue of Unity:
- It is the world’s tallest statue with a height of 182 meters (597 ft).
- The Statue depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
- It is located in the state of Gujarat, India on Sadhu Hill on the bed of the Narmada river
- This project was started in 2013 and was inaugurated on 31 October 2018, the 143rd anniversary of Patel’s birth.
- Built at a cost of Rs 2,989 crore (US$420 million).
- The statue is divided into five zones of which only three are accessible to the public.
Details of the ride:
Day 1: 28th December 2018
1) Ride from Mumbai to Rajpipla, Gujarat (35 km before statue)
2) Find a guest house, restaurant and stay at Rajpipla
Day 2: 29th December 2018
1) Reach Statue of Unity before 7 am (to stand in a queue to purchase tickets at the location)
2) Visit Statue of unity and places nearby
3) Head back to Mumbai
Ticket Counters:
As expected, a lot of people were already present at the ticket counter. Kevadiya (map) is the location where tickets can be collected. We managed to get tickets by 9.15 am. There is a bus facility arranged till the statue of unity from Kevadiya. We decided to park our bikes and take the bus to the Statue of Unity which is a 4km drive. There are a few more places where you can get the tickets. The following video gives all the related information.
We entered into the statue area by 10 AM. This spot and the scenery around is very beautiful. There is a lift facility that takes you up to the chest of the statue. Also, there is a Statue of Unity Museum located at the lower ground floor of the statue, which is very informative and has a wide collection of a journey of the freedom fighter.
There are many options for the food at the statue of unity itself (Note: outside food is not allowed). We grabbed some food here and then started towards Narmada dam and Valley of flowers in the same bus. Also, there is a helicopter service available for those who want to see the statue at its best.
This completed our visit and we headed back home happy and fulfilled.
Ticket information for Indians:
1) Basic Entry ticket: INR 120
2) Observation Deck view and Chest view: INR 350
3) Express ticket (VIP ticket): INR 1000
Bus service charges (one time): INR 30
Helicopter view: INR 2900 (over and above tickets)
Nice post… Useful info