Right on schedule, the world’s tallest statue has officially opened in India. Standing almost 600ft (182m) tall, the new Statue of Unity depicts Indian freedom fighter Vallabhbhai Patel, and was dedicated by India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at a ceremony on October 31.
Popularly known as Sardar Patel, and even the “Iron Man of India,” Patel is remembered as a key player in India’s fight for independence from Britain during the early-to-mid 20th century. The Statue of Unity stands not only as a memorial to this important historical figure but as a monumental feat of engineering.
