India unveils the tallest statue in the world

555 The tallest statue in the world is more than twice the size of New York's Statue of Liberty. Standing at 182-metres (600-foot) high, it's a tribute to the Indian independence hero Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Nearly 100,000 tonnes of concrete and steel make up this giant Statue of Unity at a cost of $430 million (EUR378 million). It is situated in Gujarat, about 100 km's (60 miles) from the nearest city of Vadodora. It is hoped it will attract 15,000 visitors a day at a cost of $4.75 (EUR4.18), or 350 rupees, and tourists can view it from the 153-metre high observation deck which reaches the statue's chest. Around 185 families who had to move to make way for the statue have been compensated and given 1,200 acres (475 hectares) of new land, according to the Gujarat government. But it's caused controversy as locals say the money spent on building the bronze-clad construct could have been put to better use.

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