In a bid to dwarf all of the world’s most imposing statues, India has broken ground on what will be the world’s tallest statue at 182 meters (600 feet). The planned Statue of Unity will be a homage to Sardar Patel, India’s first home minister when they achieved independence. It will be erected in the state of Gujarat. The towering statue will be twice the height of the Statue of Liberty and four times the height of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.
Opposition leader Narendra Modi is behind the endeavor, which is something of a pet project for him. It will be constructed out of metal. Calls are even being made to local farmers to donate scrap metal for the construction.
“People come to see the Taj Mahal, flock to America for the Statue of Liberty and France for the Eiffel Tower. Now people from all over the world will come here to see this wonder,” Modi told AFP.com.
The foundation for the statue has already been put down and the construction will cost approximately 25 billion rupees (about $300 million).
Irish journalist writing on business, tech and engineering.
