India Unveils World's Tallest Statue

India's newest marvel, the Statue of Unity, was unveiled Wednesday in Rajpipla in the western state of Gujarat.



The 182-meter-tall bronze statue, which cost 430 million U.S. dollars, is dedicated to Sardar Patel, India’s first home minister who played a significant role in the nation's independence movement and largely credited for uniting the country after the British left.



The new world's tallest statue, carved in finer details, was unveiled amidst major fanfare.



According to its chief engineer, P.C. Vyas, the major challenges of building the statue were how tall it stands at, the remote location and the shape of the statue, which makes the foundation narrower than the upper body.



Other major challenges for the architects and sculptors were the 6.4 meters gap between the two feet to replicate Patel's walking pose and to get the shape of the shawl, its fall and texture to make it look as real as possible.



The statue is also designed to withstand the vagaries of nature like wind and earthquakes.



The unveiling of the statue attracted both national and international media. Thousands who came to witness this historical moment were in awe of the creation.