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'Must visit': PM Modi tweets as Statue of Unity crosses 5 million visitors mark
An official account of the statue said on Twitter, "Statue of Unity crosses 5 million visitors mark in just 553 working days, making it a greatly popular international tourist destination !!"
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged people to visit the Statue of Unity as the world's tallest statue crossed the 5 million visitor's mark. PM Modi took to Twitter to share the development.
"Excellent! Statue of Unity in Kevadia is a must visit. Do plan a trip there whenever you can," the Prime Minister said in a tweet.
An official account of the statue said on Twitter, "Statue of Unity crosses 5 million visitors mark in just 553 working days, making it a greatly popular international tourist destination !!"
Situated in Kevadia in Gujarat's Narmada district, the statue has emerged as an international tourist destination, offering multiple attractions for all age groups, Gujarat's Additional Chief Secretary (Forest and Environment) Rajiv Gupta said in a tweet.
The 182-metre tall statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, billed as the world's tallest and built on the Sadhu Bet islet near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Kevadia, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, 2018.
"#StatueofUnity crosses five million visitors mark !!! Built under visionary leadership of Hon.@PMOIndiait has emerged as an international tourist destination, offering multiple attractions for all age groups. @narendramodi @tourismgoi@souindia," Gupta tweeted.
In a bid to make the destination more accessible, the government plans to improve rail and air connectivity to Kevadia. The government recently added eight new trains from different parts of the country and a seaplane service from Ahmedabad.
The Covid-19 disease outbreak punctuated the flurry of visitors last year when the tourist spot was shut for more than seven months but picked up rapidly after the statue was again opened for public visiting in October last year.
During his address on January18 this year after flagging off eight trains to Kevadia from across India, Prime Minister Modi said more tourists visit the Statue of Unity in Gujarat than the Statue of Liberty in the US.
He had said that with increased connectivity, over a lakh people will visit Kevadia daily, as per a survey.
On Patel's birth anniversary last year, Modi had also launched a seaplane service between the Statue of Unity and the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad, further improving connectivity to the tourist attraction in Kevadia.
