HeritageThemes:HeritageSpiritualPhotography
Gujarat
Champaner-Pavagadh
A lost sultanate city under a Shakti Peetha hill
- Ideal stay
- 2 days
- Best time
- November to February; the hill is greenest right after the monsoon in September and October
West India · Heritage
Statue of Unity
The world's tallest statue, facing the Narmada and its dam
- Gujarat
- Heritage
- Modern
Photo: Snehrashmi · CC BY-SA 4.0
- January — a best month
- February — a best month
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October — a best month
- November — a best month
- December — a best month
Best: Oct–Feb
- State
- Gujarat
- Region
- West India
- Kind of place
- Heritage · Modern
- Ideal stay
- 2 days
- Altitude
- 40 m
- Coordinates
- 21.84° N, 73.72° E
At 182 metres, the Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in the world, nearly twice the height of the Statue of Liberty, and it stands on Sadhu Bet, a rock island in the Narmada facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam. It honours Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Gujarati lawyer who welded 562 princely states into the Republic of India. The sculptor was Ram V.
Sutar, the bronze cladding arrived in panels, and iron for the base was collected as farm tools donated by villages across the country. It opened on 31 October 2018, Patel's birthday. A lift takes you 153 metres up into the statue's chest, where a viewing gallery opens onto the Narmada gorge, the dam wall and the Satpura hills beyond.
What surprises visitors is how much has grown around it: the Valley of Flowers along the riverbank, the Arogya Van of medicinal plants, a cactus garden, a jungle safari park on a hillside, a river cruise to the base and an evening projection show that throws Patel's story onto the statue in light. The town below, renamed Ekta Nagar, now has its own railway station and a river promenade. Come in winter, stay the night, and take the first boat out while mist still sits on the water.
What not to miss in Statue of Unity
- Viewing gallery 153 metres up inside the statue's chest
- Sardar Sarovar Dam seen from the river promenade
- Laser and projection show on the statue after dark
- Ekta Cruise across the Narmada to the base
- Jungle Safari zoological park on the hillside
- Zarwani waterfall in the Shoolpaneshwar sanctuary after rain
Best Oct–Feb
Best time to visit Statue of Unity
November to February; avoid Mondays, when the statue is closed for maintenance.
Give Statue of Unity 2 days and it repays the time; with fewer you are choosing between Viewing gallery 153 metres up inside the statue's chest and Sardar Sarovar Dam seen from the river promenade. We build the hours around the weather — early starts when it is hot, long afternoons when it is not.
- Ideal stay — 2 days
- Season — Oct–Feb
On the ground
Things to do in Statue of Unity
The days we would actually plan for you, in the order that suits the light.
- Timed-entry lift to the viewing gallery at sunset
- Cycling the riverfront between the Valley of Flowers and Arogya Van
- Boat cruise on the Narmada backwaters
- Evening sound-and-light projection from the lawn
At the table
What to eat in Statue of Unity
- Gujarati thali with undhiyu in winter
- Khaman and sev khamani
- Fafda with jalebi for breakfast
- Sugarcane juice from the roadside stalls at Ekta Nagar
Getting there
How to reach Statue of Unity
Vadodara Airport is 90 km away, Ekta Nagar station is 5 km from the statue, and Ahmedabad is 200 km by expressway and highway.
Airport pickups, station transfers and the driver for the days here are all part of what we arrange — including the hour you should leave, which is usually earlier than you think.
Travel tips from our trips
- The statue is closed to visitors every Monday for maintenance; the gardens stay open
- Book the viewing-gallery slot online in advance because the lift has a daily cap and sells out on weekends
- Free shuttle buses connect the ticket plaza with the gardens, safari park and statue, so park once and ride
- Gujarat is a dry state and alcohol is not sold here; tourist permits are available at licensed hotels
- April to June regularly crosses forty degrees on the open riverfront; plan an early morning and an evening slot
Next door
Near Statue of Unity
Places that join Statue of Unity without a long drive — the way a real week is built.
Heritage
CityThemes:HeritageCultureFoodPhotography
Gujarat
Ahmedabad
India's first World Heritage City, of pols, mosques and mills
- Ideal stay
- 3 days
- Best time
- November to February; mid-January brings the Uttarayan kite festival
Hill stationThemes:NatureFamilyOffbeat
Gujarat
Saputara
Gujarat's only hill station, greenest in the Dang monsoon
- Ideal stay
- 2 days
- Best time
- July to September for the monsoon green
CityThemes:CultureFoodHeritagePhotography
Maharashtra
Mumbai
Seven islands, Art Deco seafront and India's loudest appetite
- Ideal stay
- 3 days
- Best time
- November to February; the monsoon from June to September is dramatic but floods the streets
Before you ask
Questions we are asked about Statue of Unity
When is the best time to visit Statue of Unity?
November to February; avoid Mondays, when the statue is closed for maintenance. On the calendar that is Oct–Feb. We build Statue of Unity into a journey inside that window wherever we can; when your dates are fixed outside it, we re-plan the hours of the day around the weather rather than talk you out of the trip.
How many days do you need in Statue of Unity?
We plan 2 days in Statue of Unity. That is enough for Viewing gallery 153 metres up inside the statue's chest, Sardar Sarovar Dam seen from the river promenade and Laser and projection show on the statue after dark, at a pace that still leaves room for a long lunch. Add a day if you are continuing to Champaner-Pavagadh and Ahmedabad.
How do you reach Statue of Unity?
Vadodara Airport is 90 km away, Ekta Nagar station is 5 km from the statue, and Ahmedabad is 200 km by expressway and highway. We arrange the transfer and the driver as part of the journey, so you are met on arrival instead of negotiating a taxi at the gate, and the timings are set around when Statue of Unity is at its best rather than around the clock.
What is Statue of Unity famous for?
Statue of Unity is a heritage site in Gujarat, West India, best known for Viewing gallery 153 metres up inside the statue's chest, Sardar Sarovar Dam seen from the river promenade and Laser and projection show on the statue after dark. Travellers come for heritage, family, photography and nature, and most give it 2 days.
Is Statue of Unity good for families?
Yes. Statue of Unity is one of the places we plan for families: 2 days is enough, the highlights sit close together, and Oct–Feb keeps the weather kind. Tell us the children's ages and we will trim the driving, start the mornings early and leave an afternoon free.
Photograph of Statue of Unity: Snehrashmi · CC BY-SA 4.0
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