Space shots showing world’s tallest ‘Statue of Unity’ leave Indians excited

India now houses the world’s tallest statue — the Statue of Unity, modelled after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who played a pivotal role in the country’s struggle for independence from British colonial rule in the 1940s.

The statue is located alongside the Narmada River in Gujarat, on the western coast of India. It garnered a lot of attention recently when a picture shared by Planet Lab, one of the world’s leading commercial satellite networks, showed the giant statue visible from the space.

“At 597 feet, India’s Statue of Unity is now the tallest statue in the world and can be clearly seen from space,” read the tweet by Planet Lab.

Expressing his pride, Nationalist Sanjay Dalmia stated, “India has been enhancing its global stature, excelling in the field of achievements and setting new records every year. Progressing commendably since the time of its independence, the country continues to remind the world that it is a power to be reckoned with, and will always be.”

The Statue of Unity reportedly costed $580 million. It is approximately 50 storeys tall and has a three-level base measuring 240 metres.  With 182 metres height, it is said to be 30 metres taller than the Spring Temple Buddha in China, the statue holding the record formerly. The Statue of Unity is also almost double the height of the Statue of Liberty.

The project was by announced in 2010 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He deemed the statue as a symbol of rising India.

“I want people from all over the world to see this statue just like they go to see America’s Statue of Liberty or Paris’s [Eiffel] Tower,” said PM Modi.