World's tallest statue set to be unveiled in India

Popular Indian political and social figure Sardar V Patel's statue is twice the size of the Statue of Liberty

World's tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel - a popular Indian political and social figure - is set to be inaugurated on October 31 in India, CNN reported.

Patel was part of the resistance that culminated in India's independence from British colonial rule in 1947.

The statue is forged from approximately 1,850 metric tons of bronze and stands at 182 metres height near the Narmada River in the western Indian state of Gujrat.

The statue towers over the Narmada River in the western Indian state of Gujarat. PHOTO: AFP

"In the world, people talk about America's Statue of Liberty. We want to make a statue of Sardar Patel at twice the size of the statue of Liberty," said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2013.

The height of Statue of Liberty is 93 metres, including its pedestal.



Modi announced the project "The Statue of Unity" in 2010 while serving as chief minister of Gujrat. The state government allocated funds for the project, estimated to cost over $410 million, although monetary support was also provided by the federal government and public donations were requested by the committee overseeing the construction.

PM Modi also called on farmers across India to donate iron.

Patel's figure appears to be wearing a shirt, shawl and loincloth with detailed folds. The project also includes a museum, research and entertainment centre with a 3-star hotel built in a complex nearby.

The project includes a museum, research and entertainment centre. PHOTO: AFP

Set to be unveiled in the next few days in a grand ceremony with senior party and government leaders, the project has already received criticism.

It has became an example of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) efforts to appropriate a popular national figure, as Patel was a member of the Congress Party, which now sits in opposition to BJP in India's parliament.



After independence, Patel also became the country's first deputy prime minister and home minister under Jawaharlal Nehru's government.

He also became a nationalist symbol for the country after being successful in his efforts to merge small princely states into a unified independent India.

The Statue of Unity, in Gujrat, India. PHOTO: AFP

Another statue, set to be even taller than the Statue of Unity is being built in the Arabian ocean, just off the coast of Mumbai. Dedicated to a famous Indian warrior, Shivaji, will reach a height of 212 metres.

The article originally appeared on CNN