India's prime minister unveiled the tallest statue in the world on Wednesday. The 597-foot-tall, bronze covered Statue of Unity is located in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
The new statue honors Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was part of India's struggle for independence. He was a supporter of Mohandas Gandhi and Ghandi's nonviolent approach to rebellion against British rule. He was also the India's first home minister after it gained its independence. He is also seen as an important figure in uniting the country, and is credited with convincing most of the individual states in the region to join India over Pakistan after the British left.
The statue cost the Indian government $403 million, a price tag that has caused outcry among Indian taxpayers. Farmers and members of India's tribal communities protested the statue before it was unveiled.
“This statue is an answer to all those who question India’s power and might,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. “It is my honor to be able to dedicate this statue to the nation.”
A museum is planned for the base of the statue, but it has not yet opened.
Including the pedestal, the Statue of Liberty stands about half as tall at 305 feet. China's Spring Temple Buddha, previously the tallest statue in the world, is 420 feet tall. The original height of the Great Pyramid of Giza is 481 feet. The Statue of Unity is just under half as tall as the Empire State Building, which stands at 1,250 feet.
In just a few years, this statue will become only the second tallest in the world. In 2021, India is planning to unveil a statue that will reach 695 feet — nearly a hundred feet taller than the Statue of Unity. That statue will honor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a warrior king who lived in the 1600s.
