We Indians love and respect our nation, and there is no doubt about it. Certain places in our country strengthen nationalism and proud Indian feeling of respect for the country. It doubles up when we visit sites that are constructed with admiration for a particular person who contributed to the Indian freedom struggle or had a role in the development of society.
I have been to many places in India that have famous and national importance in their way. But the place where I visited in February and felt so proud is 'THE STATUE OF UNITY' (GUJARAT).
About Statue Of Unity-
The statue of unity is the colossal image of Indian statesman and activist 'SARDAR VALLABHBHAI PATEL' also, known as The Iron man of India. He was the first deputy prime minister and home minister of independence in India and an adherent of Mahatma Gandhi during the nonviolent Indian Independence movement. Patel was highly respected for his leadership in uniting 562 princely states of India with a major part of the former British Raj to form the single Union of India.
The sculpture is found in the Kevadiya Colony and district of Gujarat, India. It is the world's tallest effigy, with a height of 182 meters (597) exceeding the peak of various huge buildings and statues globally. It is located on the Narmada River, facing the SARDAR SAROVAR DAM 100 KM Southeast of Vadodara City.
MY JOURNEY MY EXPERIENCE-
I love traveling a lot and explore new cities, new places, new food, and new culture in the country. Honestly speaking before, visiting 'the Unity' I hadn't that much interest in visiting monuments, but after seeing those 182m statues, I promised myself to visit the monuments in India and get to know more about it.
My journey started with my travel partner, my sister, as I travel with her only. We departed from Delhi on 4th February 2021 from the train, and it was an overnight journey, so we slept, and reached early morning to Vadodara station at 4.30 am. The station is neat and well-constructed.
The distance between the Vadodara railway station and the Kevadiya district where the image stands is around 90Km, and the drive is very soothing. Immediately you enter the district, the security starts checking you at the checkpoint.
The biggest attraction near the effigy is 'The Tent City,' which I want to visit again and highly recommend. So as you go inside, you cannot close your eyes at all, no matter how sleepy you are. The outstanding architecture around the city including, the statue will force you to see it.
Statue of unity is one of the major attractions, but the city surrounded by tents and covered with tents is the thing you cannot miss at all. It's a city spread in acres and acres with big dining halls, conference halls, parks with swings, and the best part is you can take a cycle ride any time you want to around the tent city. The tents are spacious enough to accommodate 2-4 people in tents easily. We had a stay for three days, and the food they serve is mouth-watering and satisfactory. You can even enjoy a cultural evening which was fun a lot.
We first visited The Dino Trail, and the children's adventure park, which I suggest is for children only and can and have a lot of fun and enjoyment. Both places are for children and have theme games and activities inside them. The best part about this beautiful destination is everything you need is near the statue and within a few Km's. This makes it easier for travelers to cover all the places in two or three days easily.
Visitors can also visit places like The Cactus Garden, the Butterfly Garden, The Sardaar Sarovar Dam, and some temples.
Before entering the effigy, one has to get its ticket checked, which you can easily book online from the site of the same.
Moving forward towards the statue, you have to go through a security check for obvious reasons, and after the checking, you will be allowed to go further.
As you pass the security check, the statue becomes more visible although one can see it from a very long distance, the beauty glows as soon as you come closer to it.
We walked for a reasonable distance before entering the statue, in the ground floor of the statue, you can experience the process of how the statue is built, can enjoy a cinematic experience, you can see inside some beautiful piece of art and craftwork, and will get to know some interesting facts about the Indian struggle as well.
One can also visit the statue of Unity Viewing gallery (SOU) and go to the top floor of the statue and enjoy the view from the gallery.
Standing under the shade of the 182m tall statue, enjoying the scenic view of Narmada River and around made us feel super proud and happy. In the evening as well, you can enjoy the laser show from inside and outside the statue, which I am sure that one cannot forget ever.
I feel proud to be Indian, and of such a country where gems like SARDAR PATEL are born. Please stop your country from its drawbacks every time and start exploring a new culture, the hidden jewels of India, the monuments, and places of memorable importance.
Don't show your spirit of nationalism and patriotism only on the national days and during cricket matches. Always do respect the people because of whom we are sitting here at home safely and have freedom.
And I would suggest that you explore India as much as you can because it is- INCREDIBLE…….
-Vardaan Gulla
Share This Post On
0 comments
Leave a comment
You need to login to leave a comment. Log-in
