The Statue of Unity is the world’s tallest statue, 182 meters (597 feet), located in Gujarat, India. It depicts Indian statesman and independence activist Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950), who was the first deputy prime minister and home minister of independent India and an adherent of Mahatma Gandhi.
Statue of Unity depicts Indian statesman and independence activist Vallabhbhai Patel
Patel was one of Gandhi’s earliest lieutenants and staged peaceful protests against British rule. He is also credited with uniting the 565 self-governing states that existed after British rule ended. This effectively pulled together the country to form the India we know today.
Intended to stand as a symbol of the nation’s spiritual, historical, and academic values, the Statue of Unity towers over other large sculptures around the world. The previous tallest statue in the world, the Spring Temple Buddha in China, sits at 153 meters (502 feet), while another large sculpture—the Statue of Liberty—seems almost small at just 93 meters (305 feet).
