Posted on 10/31/2018 5:49:01 PM PDT by Simon Green
The prime minister of India today unveiled the world’s largest statue, dedicated to Sardar Patel, a nationalist who helped unite modern India after its independence from Britain.
"We are doing everything possible to turn Sardar Patel's vision into a reality and ensure a good-quality life for our fellow Indians," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
The monument, called the Statue of Unity, stands at nearly 600 feet and cost a staggering $460 million to build.
That makes the mega statue almost 200 feet higher than the world’s next largest, the Spring Temple Buddha in China, which stands at about 420 feet. The new statue in India is also nearly twice the height of the Statue of Liberty, which is 305 feet tall.
The Statue of Unity, located in the western state of Gujarat, is expected to attract tens of thousands of tourists per day. The project has proved controversial, however.
Farmers in the state of Gujarat were reportedly bemused that millions of dollars were spent on the flagship project. The BBC reported that locals have expressed deep concern that they still lack basic irrigation facilities vital to the region’s economy while mass investment has been diverted to a largely-ceremonial project.
But completion of the towering monument ends a critical debate over which political party has the best claim to the legacy of one of Indian history’s most revered figures.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Would he be the patriarch of the Patels that own every single motel in the United States? Just wondering.
>>dedicated to Sardar Patel, a nationalist who helped unite modern India after its independence from Britain.
Dedicated to a Nationalist?
Tear down that statue!!!
Get the SJWs on this ASAP
Don’t take this the wrong way, but you sound like my pop.
It’s cool but he’s just kind of...standing there...
Like he’s waiting for a bus or a subway.
At least the Statue of Liberty is holding some things :)
I wonder how tall the Colossus of Rhodes was?
No need. It’s an image of a human. The muslims will bomb it.
Looks a little boring. If they’re going to spend so much they should have gotten a little more creative in the composition than just having him stand around.
He looks bored.
Flip his switch and he goes for a jog.
There are roughly 500,000 Patels outside India, including 150,000 in Britain and 150,000 in the US. Nearly 1 in 10 people of Indian origin in the US is a Patel.
The Patels of the U.S. are of Gujarati origin.
600’? More than a little bit of overkill.
That is a big sail for a small footing.
Over time, the swaying may work harden the steel base support.
When I think of hungry children these days, I think of India.
It may very well collapse on its own given their construction standards.
Patel is the Indian equivalent of George Washington. That stutue is actually 40 feet taller than the Washington monument.
And I always thought Jawaharlal Nehru was the guy that did that... Who knew?
To help defray maintainence costs, the monument incorporates a completely equipped, fully operational, multi level call center within the structure. Helen, Sandra, Bob, Jim and the rest of the highly trained staff are waiting to take your calls!
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