The statue that will become the tallest in the world, one of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s prestige projects, is nearing completion.
The 600-foot tall statue will celebrate the life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a national hero revered for his role in the country’s long struggle for independence from the British Empire.
Known as the Statue of Unity, the sculpture will be officially inaugurated by Modi on October 31, the BBC said. It will overtake China’s Spring Temple Buddha, which has held the title of tallest statue since 2002.
The statue is located around 125 miles southeast of Ahmedabad, the main city in India’s western state of Gujarat. The project will cost around $430 million in total, with around 2,500 laborers working to finish the job. Hundreds of Chinese migrant workers are also assisting with construction.
Patel is a nationalist hero in India, and is remembered as the “Iron Man” of the fledgling state as it gained independence in 1947. As a deputy to the country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, he was instrumental in persuading rival independent princely states to join under the new country’s flag and form the largest democracy in the world.
Some Hindu nationalists claim Patel’s role has been overlooked by historians, who instead focus on Nehru and his descendents—i.e. the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty—who came to dominate the country’s politics. Patel died of a heart attack in 1950.
