A Complete Guide to Statue of Unity

Soaring in the sky and standing firm in every calamity on the Sadhu Bet island of river Narmada, the world’s tallest-182 metres’ Statue of Unity stands testimony to the stature of Sardar Vallabhai Patel.

Of all the places I visited in India, I found Ekta Nagar or Kevadia (the place where SOU stands) to be a well-managed ‘model’ town, designed specifically to promote tourism. The place isn’t limited to the Statue of Unity. A multitude of things await you there, ranging from places rooted in natural landscapes to adventure activities. The moment you step out of the railway station (Ekta Nagar) and step into the town, it doesn’t matter whichever mode you’re using to travel, you’ll find that you’ve landed in a different country. It’s one of the few magnificent places I’ve ever visited.

How to Reach: Ekta Nagar is the nearest railway station. Buses ply at an interval of 5 minutes from here, free of cost, to drop you at SOU or Jungle Safari. Vadodara is the nearest airport (SOU is 90 km away from here). Whosoever is travelling from Delhi can take the NZM-Ekta Nagar Sampark Kranti (20946). The alternative option is to take trains or flights to Vadodara and complete the remaining journey either by cab, bus or train. Cloak room facility available at the station, but you’ve to collect your belongings before 9:30 PM.

When to Visit: Prefer winters since you’ve to walk a lot. I visited in mid-October and still felt the Sun interrupting my path.

Mode of Transport: Free-of-cost buses ply at regular intervals to major destinations. Alternatively, pink auto-rickshaws, driven by women, are available at fixed/nominal charges to take you to your desired place.

Duration: Minimum two days. However, you can customise your trip for a day by visiting major places.

Places to Explore: Miyawaki Forest- Sardar Patel Zoological Park- Valley of Flowers-Pet Zone- Maze Garden- Sardar Sarovar Dam- Dino trail-Statue of Unity- Glow Garden-Narmada Maha Aarti- Ekta Mall (follow in order for better experience).

Activities: Projection-mapping show at SOU, Cycling at the bank of the river Narmada (cycling track has been constructed), river rafting, Ekta cruise ride, Zarvani Eco-tourism and others.

Note: The App has been developed to guide tourism around SOU. Tickets can be booked through this app. Click here to know more about the place and book tickets.

A day-long trip started from Ahmedabad, from where I took the Janshatabdi to SOU/Ekta Nagar/Kavadia. The morning train dropped me off at around 11:15 at Ekta Nagar Railway Station. If you’re planning a day-long trip, I would advise you to arrive before 9 AM. After submitting my luggage at the cloak room, I located an IRCTC near the railway station. Hungry as I was, I promptly checked in there to find that it’s managed by a private entity, i.e. Jagadish. The first floor provided refreshments, whereas the second floor was a dedicated restaurant. The MacD outlet was also there across the road. After having a light refreshment, I approached a guard sitting there and tried to get an insight into exploring the place. He pointed to a bus, which I approached swiftly. As I couldn’t reach the stop, I waved my hand when the bus was about to cross the station. Surprisingly, it stopped, and the gate opened. There were only 5 people on the large bus. As I stepped up, I could see another bus approaching from behind. These buses are run by the government ‘free of cost’ to the Sardar Patel Zoological Park. As the bus accelerated on the road, I was awestruck by the cleanliness and management of the city. After a while, SOU came into our sight, and the feeling was one of a kind. On the dashboard, it was written ‘Don’t talk to the driver while he’s driving’, but a family consisting of two kids and their parents couldn’t stop themselves. They asked him to share some tips for exploring the place in a better way. The idea was to explore the rest of the places before entering into Statue of Unity. The important tip that he gave was to take the 4PM-6PM slot for the statue because the projection and mapping show would start at 7PM.

1. Jungle Safari at Sardar Patel Zoological Park

The bus, after passing through SOU, halted at the gate of the Zoological Park. The ticket counter was in front of the gate. They allow bags but not bottles.

Timings: 8 AM- 5 PM | Ticket Cost: 200/- (Additional 150/- for DSLR)| Duration: Ideally 2 hrs

This zoological park is a very novel attempt to construct an abode for the animals, birds and reptiles, similar to the surroundings they live in. As in other zoos/safari parks, most of the animals were in deep slumber. Khao, piyo aur so jao! That’s their motto, I think. Some of them were too shy to be viewed by us. Vehicles are available to take you around the place that would drop you at the entrance. After viewing, another vehicle would be there at the exit to take you to the next spot. So, exploring the place becomes convenient and less tiring. Also, there are multiple outlets serving snacks at the exit, but all of them were overpriced. Can you believe an aloo paratha for 190/- and a Sandwich for 185/-?

2. Valley of Flowers/Maze Garden/Glow Garden

Timings: 8AM- 5PM | Glow Garden: 8AM- 10PM | No entry fee

All three spots are situated within walking distance from the Zoological Park, in the vicinity, I would say. I would advise you to come back again after the evening (7 PM-10 PM) for the glow garden. You can explore the other two right after Safari.

3. Pets Zone

Timings: 8AM- 5PM | Ticket cost: 50/- adult, 25/- Kids

It’s situated in front of the Zoological Park, and the tickets are available there only. It’s an attraction where visitors can interact with and photograph a variety of domestic and exotic animals, including rabbits, guinea pigs, macaws, ponies, and geese.

4. Sardar Sarovar Dam

Timings: 8:30 AM- 5:30 PM | No entry fee | Auto fare: 50/- per auto, single side (fixed)

The dam is around 3 km from the Zoological Park. You can hire the pink auto about which I mentioned earlier in this post. The viewing point offers a very scenic view of the place. You can spend about half an hour here, clicking pictures and strolling around it.

Now it’s the time to visit the most-awaited place that drew me here. Yes, the whopping 182 metres Statue of Unity!

A Note on Tickets: Tickets can be booked at the offline counters of Zoological Park as well as SOU at a cost of 150/-. However, it won’t include the viewing gallery (located up above the statue) and the projection mapping show. To access both, online tickets can be booked from the website or app for 425 bucks.

Note: Free of Cost luggage storing facility available here, but you’ve to collect it around 9PM.

To empower the locals, street foods and souvenir shops are run by them outside the entrance at a nominal price. You can tantalise your taste buds with fruits, bhelpuris, and other snacks before entering SOU. A souvenir shop is also inside the SOU premises. After a couple of security checks, I was finally in the SOU premises. Vehicles were available for old and differently-abled people.

I had to tilt my neck a lot to completely view SOU. A range of activities is available, which will take you through the history and biography of Sardar Patel.

I could see the children playing quizzes or exploring videos on those LCD screens. There are a lot of sitting and viewing spaces on the floor. A documentary related to Patel keeps running on a loop in one of the chambers.

After taking a quick look around, I decided to visit the viewing gallery, which is at a height of 153 metres, approximately at the chest area of the statue. It’s accessible through the elevator, which will run till 6 PM. There is nothing much to do here except relish the breathtaking view.

The whole city, along with the Sardar Sarovar Dam and vast stretches of the river Narmada, is visible. After spending some 15 minutes, I had to wait for some time for the elevator to come. One can also ascend to the feet height of the Statue of Unity from outside. Escalators are there for this purpose. After reaching there, it felt like I was Gulliver in Brobdingnag.

The view from here, I must say, is stunning. Sunset is one of a kind here!

I don’t think I’ve sufficient words to describe the Sun disappearing slowly amidst the mountains and its golden rays hitting the flowing water. At that moment, I recalled my visit to Karni Mata Mandir, Udaipur, from where I viewed a similar sunset.

And the final event in SOU- The Projection and Mapping Show!

The 22-minute show starts at 7PM, but the entry to the seating area is open from 6 PM onwards. You can reserve your spot by arriving early. Those who didn’t take the tickets for the in-campus viewing of the show can watch it from the helipad or sitting arrangement outside the statue.

There are cafes and restaurants beside the viewing area. You can witness twilight receding slowly to welcome the darkness. The projection and mapping show wouldn’t begin until the last ray of light disappears. Waiting for the show to begin can serve as a way to relax, reflect on your journey and cast aside the day’s exhaustion.

The show came to an end around 7:50 PM. I still had some time to visit a couple of places, but due to exhaustion and to take the luggage back from the cloak room, I boarded one of the buses waiting to drop me off at the station. Also, I didn’t want to adulterate my visit to SOU with anything else. Hence, I refrained from visiting any other place and headed straight to the station.

One can visit Glow Garden, Ekta Mall after SOU. Also, you’ve to choose one between Narmada Maha Arti and Projection Mapping Show if you’ve planned a day-long trip. I kept the rest of the places for my next visit. I had my dinner at Jagadish restaurant, and waited for the Sampark Kranti, which would leave this beautiful place at 11:30 PM.

Let me know your feelings or queries in the comment box.

©Shashank

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