Statue of Unity

I have always preferred nature to manmade structures for sightseeing but visit to SoU turned out to be a very good choice.

General Information:

SoU was inaugurated on 31st October, 2018 by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, in honor of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. At 182 m, it is the tallest statue in the world. Almost 10km length of area along Narmada banks is planned to be developed as tourist attraction and much of it has already been commissioned.

Location

SoU is located about 4 km upstream of Kevadia village and about 5 km downstream of Sardar Sarovar dam. It is almost equidistant (about 90km) from Ankleshwar Bharuch and Vadodara stations on Mumbai-Ahmedabad/Delhi route of Western Railway. A new rail line is being laid to connect SoU by rail. If you are traveling from Mumbai, then it will be around 420 km away via road.

Stay

Government has made a nice tent city to accommodate tourist. Few days before our visit there were heavy unseasonal rains which flooded the tent city and our booking was transferred to Ramada Encore Hotel in Kevadia. This is also a food option on the banks of the river. There is a very nice circuit house above a hill in Kevadia. Also there are cheaper hotels in the village and in Rajpiple town nearby. Most tourists make a day visit and do not stay overnight but I recommend one night stay as there is too much to see in one day.

Transport to and back from SoU

State transport and private buses, luxury coaches, private vehicles, Uber/Ola, intercity taxis, etc are available from Vadodara, Bharuch and Ankleshwar. The road from Bharuch to SoU is wide but almost 40km length has developed potholes due to rains/poor construction and movement of heavy trucks carrying sand from mining areas. Two hour journey takes 3 hours.

Transport within SoU complex

There is an excellent "Hop on - Hop off' A/C luxury bus service connecting to various sites (statue, valley of flowers, Sardar Sarovar dam), tent city and Kevadia. For Rs 30/day it is a steal. One can take private vehicle/taxi also for which a permit is to be taken (Rs 150/day).

Spread over a large area along the north bank of Narmada river. Besides a very imposing and magnificent statue there are many sit outs, amphitheatre, lawns, river front promenade, water fountain, food court, toilets, etc. All is very tastefully done.

The statue is a massive steel structure covered with perfectly shaped metal panels made from combination of 5 metals. Two lifts (20-person capacity each) start from ground platform and takes visitors to top deck (chest high on the statue) for 2 viewing galleries. On the return the lifts drop visitors on 2nd deck above which the statue feet rest.

This is open and the view from here is much better than from upper deck view gallery. This 2nd deck is a good place to take pictures. There are escalators from 2nd deck to 1st deck. Due to very long lift queues of visitors, it takes over an hour to reach top deck which does not have any better view than 2nd deck. I suggest skipping the top deck to save time and money (ticket to all decks is Rs 380 v/s Rs 150 for up to 2nd deck). Besides the views from the two lower decks, one must spend some time to watch the exhibition about Sardar Patel (on the lower deck from where to take lift). It is learning of history for post independence generation and the contribution of the great man to the country. In the evening (7:30pm to 8:15pm) there is a must see laser show honoring this great man. One may sit on the steps of amphitheatre to watch the show or on the benches in the lawns. However, carry or apply mosquito repellent during the laser show.

Presently this is work in progress. In a few months it is expected to be in full bloom. From here Sardar Sarovar Dam is visible in the east and the Statue in the west. This also has facility to hold conferences, which may help boost tourism by industry/groups.

Scenery from the view point of Sardar Sarovar Dam is very nice. One can see the Statue downstream and Cactus garden on the opposite bank of the river. Visitors are not allowed to go on the dam for security reasons.

We understand from the drivers that it is a nicely laid out and comfortable tented accommodation on the river banks. We could not go there due to flooding.

Under Construction Attractions

1) Children park with life size statues of animals including dinosaurs.
2) Bridge across the river to go to cactus garden.

Best time to visit

Most of the attractions are in the open and in this part the weather is hot and sun is very strong. Best time to visit as per me is during winter months or even during rainy season.