Deep in western India, a giant larger than any in the world awaits its imminent welcome to the world. The Statue of Unity, a 600-foot monument to a founding father of independent India, is set to be inaugurated Wednesday.
The statue depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who together with Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru helped lead India to independence from the U.K. Often known as the Iron Man of India, served as the independent country’s first home affairs minister and deputy prime minister, and he’s credited with helping unite its hundreds of disparate states into a coherent, functioning entity before his death in 1950.
Now, the late Indian leader will enjoy not just a towering reputation, but also a literally towering memorial in the region he hailed from, the western state of Gujarat. The $400 million Statue of Unity overlooks the Sardar Sarovar Dam near the city of Vadodara.
To give you a little sense of scale: It would take about four Statues of Liberty, each one standing atop the last, just for Lady Liberty to reach the crown of the Iron Man’s head with her torch.
Photos: Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images