The Marvel revisited - Statue of Unity after three years

The last article was written when this marvel of a tourist-destination-dream had just seen its fruition and opened its gates to one and all. I revisited the Statue of Unity now after three long, with one non-year in between due to the tiny havoc-wreaking being called Covid-19, years. The attraction, the magnetism, the charm has all grown multifold since I last visited The Statue of Unity. Now the Statue is not “just a statue” anymore but a full-fledged tourist destination with as many as 36 state-of-the-art attractions / activities in place. Everything is though nature and local centric and promotes nature in all its beautiful forms - be it the Wildlife Safari Park or Jungle Safari, Petting Zone, Cactus Garden, Valley of Flowers, Butterfly Park or just a serene cruise over the waters of Sardar Sarovar Dam. The local tribals have been employed and trained to run this ecosystem called Kevadia with unmatched efficiency.

What’s New

Let me take you through my experience of re-visiting SoU after three years.

Started as a day excursion option, but now Statue of Unity is easily a two-day if not three-day destination. An attraction suited to all age groups, young and old alike. Facilities and attractions are planned keeping every age group in mind. With wheel-chairs being available to travellators to take you to the Statue, details have been thought through to keep seniors also equally engaged and interested. The stay options have mushroomed in and around Kevadia, accommodation to suit all pocket sizes is available. An ultra luxurious tent city, a hotel of class, a budget tent city, even a few lodges and tribal-homestays, there is something for everyone to choose from. 

Bookings are available online, reducing your dependency on the “ask-around" option. Go online and in three easy steps book your tickets. Make bookings for your stay at one of the many options that suit you and you are ready to live a grandeur of an experience!

A quick re-cap of the must-knows

Dedicated to The Iron Man of India, The Architect of the Unified India and The Farmers’ Leader, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, the Statue of Unity stands 182 meters tall, approx. 600 feet. This is the tallest statue in the world. As a true symbol of national unity, about 5000 tonnes of iron from farming implements and soil from villages across the country was collected and utilised in the construction of the project. Completed in record time, the Statue stands as a tribute to the visionary Sardar Patel and is a paragon of artistic expression and engineering excellence.

The Statue is a three-level engaging wonder, with a museum and theatre at the base, an open deck at the mezzanine and an observation deck inside the statue at an astounding height of 500 feet. The tickets are available with two options - one that allows you to visit the base and the mezzanine and the second one that allows you a trip up the elevators to the observation deck as well, where you can get a panoramic view of the valley from and witness the Sardar Sarovar Dam and Narmada in all its glory. The tickets have time slots mentioned and one must stick to the allotted time in order to have a smooth and glitch-free “statue-darshan”!

The Base

The museum at the base is now more vibrant and has a few newer additions, one being an “I-pledge” console. The digital console allows you to fill a brief form with your name and place of residence and a section where you write a pledge that you wish to take when you visit the memorial dedicated to the Iron Man of India, the one who united us all- Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. The pledges are displayed on a screen above the console. Next to this console is a beautiful collage of all the rulers of various princely states of India who joined hands under the able guidance of Sardar Patel to make one big united nation that India today is. Imagine the mammoth task of bringing the recalcitrant princely states together to become one to form a Unified India!

Besides these there is a wall mural of Sardar Patel’s silhouette that is made up of a collection of various farm equipments. And indeed the prototype of the head of the statue too. Queue up for your elevator ride, and be ready for that view from up above.

The Observation Deck

There hasn’t been any change here in the last three years. The deck is as clean as it was then. If you are punctual as per your ticket time-slot, you can get ample time to walk around and have a good view of the river flowing below and the Steadfast Dam standing afar. Do not hesitate to use that camera!

The Mezzanine

The elevators bring you to the open deck at the mezzanine floor, which is the pedestal of the statue. Yes, you are now where the feet of the grand statue are. You get a good panoramic view of the valley from here too. The location has been chosen keeping the climate in mind and the temperature here remains moderate all the year round. Spend some leisurely moments marvelling at the grandiosity of the vision that now stands towering over you, riveting the gaze of one and all who come here to Sadhu-Bet to visit the memorial to India’s Iron Man.

Food Court

Once out, the food court will signal a “come-hither” and no force of any resolution can then stop you as the wafting aroma from deep-fried goodies will guide your path to a table inside this coming together of flavours. Savour the local dishes or just grab a cuppa to recharge yourself for the trip ahead, you have options galore. When I last visited this food court, there were only three outlets with one being solely for bottled water. Now you have many options here with some International brands also making their presence felt.

So much to See, so little time

I must mention that a few attractions charge a nominal entrance fee while others are free of charge.Tickets can be bought at the entrance gates of these attractions.

Hop on to the next available bus (there are 17 bus stops in all, along the circular sightseeing path) and embark upon a journey through the valley of Kevadia. There are bicycles available for renting if the cyclist in you wants to get adventurous. Next big attraction definitely is the Jungle Safari. At the jungle safari, a ticket is required to be bought. Queue up to take your ride in an electric cart and go meet the various carnivores, herbivores, reptiles and avian fellows that live here. The Safari Park is a unique zoological park and is home to many indigenous and exotic animals and birds. You can walk through the huge dome of the aviary and can see the many rare and exotic birds up close. The deer park too has many species in their respective enclosures. Animals from far and wide have been brought here, one can see a Rhinoceros, a White Tiger, Emus, Wildebeest and even a Giraffe! Children are sure to have a fun filled experience at this attraction at the Statue of Unity. The domestic animals are kept separately in a Petting Zone, where one can feed, touch and play with these animals. Close to the Jungle Safari is the Dino Trail, very much worth taking.

The Cactus Garden, the Valley of Flowers, the Butterfly Garden, are all huge crowd pullers. Exotic species of flora and fauna add their uniqueness to this tourist hub. 

Indulge in some boating over the Panchmuli Lake in Kevadia, or take a cruise over the Sardar Sarovar Dam and get a closer look at the Statue from your boat as you sail past Sadhu-Bet. Adventure seekers, there are water sport activities too, the details of which can be sought once you plan your trip.

The highlight : Light and Sound Show

As the day progresses with one activity after another, a sumptuous lunch later one can either take a short break and rest in their room / tent or can further carry on exploring the other remaining activities, while reserving energy for the light and sound show, because that is one attraction that should not be missed. Gather at the Statue at the theatre that has been specially created for the show, and sit back while the 20 minute show takes you through the life and times of Sardar Patel. A slice of history that will fill you up with tank-full of inspiration!

Post the show, take a bus ride to the Dam promenade for another light and sound show, of a different kind. This one is a stage performance by some very talented artists, the artists being colourful laser beams dancing across the horizon to the tunes of very popular peppy songs. DO NOT MISS THIS SPECTACLE! 

Talking about all things light, there is a Glow Garden too that should not be missed. Though, I being very tired wanted to skip this one but the thought of “when will I visit again”, dragged me inside the gates of the Glow Garden. A beautifully lit garden spread over 3.61 acres of land where light and colours play together to create a visual-sensory delight. Walk along to marvel at illuminated installations, figures and optical illusions. A dance floor where one can hop and dance and try catching the glowing tiles by jumping onto them, as I said earlier, there is something for every one here. Old and young, each member of your family will return delighted and pleased from this vacation with a difference.

Statue of Unity, has established itself as a very popular tourist destination already. Now, with huge banquet spaces coming up all around, vast expanses of open spaces for hosting events and large inventory of rooms to accommodate many guests, the destination is also emerging as a wedding and events venue. Corporates are considering hosting their off-sites and incentives at Kevadia, Destination weddings are being planned around it and other meets and conventions are already being hosted here. The plus plus is the fantastic connectivity, with trains connecting Kevadia to Surat, Vadodara and Mumbai, Seaplane connectivity from Ahmedabad and of course the good expressways from Vadodara and Ahmedabad, bringing your troupe over to Kevadia is not a difficult task anymore.

If you already have visited the Statue of Unity, go visit again and experience the newer attractions, if you haven’t yet, hey what have you been waiting for?

Mademoiselle Demoiselle

 I lived in Jodhpur for beautiful six years of my life. I glowed and thrived in the Sun of the Suncity, immersed myself in the history and romance of the Royal sagas, shimmered in the cultural hues, danced to the Langas’ and Manganiyaars’ rhythms and yet missed out on hopping next door to meet these dainty yet brawny visitors from Siberia. Yes, I did not get a chance to go birding to Khichan. Now after thirteen years of migrating to another state, I travelled back to Marwar to meet these migratory birds - I guess because now we both fall in the same category!!

Kurjan or Koonj is as much a part of Rajasthan as is the peafowl. Songs are written and sagas are sung around these beautiful birds whose calls, they say evoke a sense of longing; longing for the union with the beloved who has travelled far in search of a livelihood, longing for a visit home, longing for meeting a long lost friend. 

About Demoiselle Cranes

Kurjan or the Demoiselle Cranes (Grus virgo) are a species of cranes from Siberia, who every year travel some 4-5 thousand kilometres to come to Khichan near Phalodi in Marwar region of Rajasthan, to spend the winters in a more favourable weather than the harsh one back home; though now their average length of stay is around eight months, starting from August to the March of next year. Smallest of the cranes, they measure some 33-40 inches in height with a wing span of 61-71 inches. A slender white neck has a dark plumage in the front that runs down to the chest of the bird, thus giving it a maiden like appearance. No wonder then that Queen Marie Antoinette christened them “The Demoiselle Cranes”! Delicate and lady-like in appearance, Kurjan (with a nasal sound in the pronunciation) have pretty powerful wing muscles that help them fly over 4000-5000 kilometres or even more, from Siberia, Russia, Mongolia, China to Rajasthan, Gujarat and some other places in India as well as a few locations in Pakistan.

About Khichan

A quaint little village, just 3.5 km from the nearest town of Phalodi and a mere 139 km from the nearest airport- Jodhpur, Khichan is a village of Jain settlement. Jainism preaches an inclusive way of non-violent living. Jains, like most other communities as well, feed animals and birds around their homes. You would notice a lot of bird-feeding towers in Jain villages.

One can take a train also to reach Khichan via Phalodi. Other option is to fly to Jodhpur or Udaipur and drive down to Khichan. There are some decent places to stay in Phalodi in case you wish to stay the night and revisit the birds the next morning. Mostly, a day excursion from Jodhpur is preferred.

Atithi Devo Bhava in the true sense of the word

In the 1970s, Ratanlal Maloo who was working in Odisha but returned to Khichan after losing his job there, was assigned the task of feeding the pigeons every day in the village. Ratanlal and his wife diligently spread the bird-feed twice every day, at a designated spot. Many birds would come there to feed including pigeons of course, sparrows, parrots, peacocks, some squirrels etc. One fine morning, in a year not identified but sometime in the 70s, Ratanlal noticed a few new visitors who definitely looked like “foreigners”. As is the culture in India, guests are always welcome and so Ratanlal started feeding these visitors too. With around a dozen birds the first time, the number of the migrating visitors grew to over 30,000 during the last year! Noticing the birds being attacked by village dogs, Ratanlal requested for allotment of a separate land, on the outskirts of the village to be fenced and demarcated as a separate “Chugga-ghar” or bird-feeding house. And thus came by the world famous Demoiselle Crane inhabitation into existence. Initially it was the villagers’ efforts and resources, including monetary assistance to keep the bird feeding pond and ground well, but now a few NGOs and other organisations have joined hands too in raising the funds for the upkeep and bird-feed.

Distinct characteristics

Demoiselle Cranes are family oriented birds and usually fly in rectangular formations with the mother leading the flight, followed closely by her young ones with the father trailing behind as a guard. Large groups fly together while migrating or even while shifting their resting spots.

The birds are fed twice a day and after feeding, the birds move to water-bodies, ponds and dunes nearby, only returning to the feeding spot for a drink of water later in the afternoon.

A hop and skip dance can be seen as an expression of affection among couples. The cranes go to nearby farmlands for roosting and return to the feeding spot the next morning.

Their migratory formations have been imitated by the infantry in various battles. There is a mention of the “Koonj formation” being adopted by both the warring sides in the Mahabharata, on the second day of the Kurukshetra war.

The throaty trumpet-like call of the Koonj has inspired many songs and references in the daily lives of people around Khichan.

Why visit Khichan?

Number one reason, of course is a date with these dainty mademoiselles and another important reason is to see how a small village and its people fiercely protect this endangered species of cranes. Little children in the age range of 5-13 years old will surprise you with their knowledge about the cranes. Do take a little help from these little guides and let them earn a deserved pocket money :)

Happy birding!