Statue of Unity finds place in '8 wonders of SCO', announces EAM Jaishankar

The 182-meter tall Statue of Unity in Gujarat has been included in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's '8 Wonders of SCO' list, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced on Monday. Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar appreciated the SCO's efforts towards promoting tourism among member nations and asserted that the statue's inclusion in the list will "surely serve as an inspiration".

The 'Statue of Unity', the world's tallest statue, is a monumental tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, independent India's first Home Minister as well as Deputy Prime Minister.

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In a series of tweets, Jaishankar further said, "I am happy to report that the unique statue - 'Statue of Unity' has been included in the "Eight Wonders of SCO" project. This honour will definitely attract more tourists here."

"The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an international organization comprised of eight member countries, including Russia and China, whose main goal is to strengthen mutual trust and relations in our region and promote peace, security, and stability," he added. 

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The Statue of Unity 

Announced in 2010, the Statue of Unity was unveiled with fanfare on October 31 last year, on the 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. With a height of 572 feet, the Statue of Unity is also visible from space. PM Modi has shared on social media, the times when he could see the Statue of Unity from a flight. The Prime Minister had also paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the monument after his visit to his home state, Gujarat, after being elected for his second term as PM in May. 

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(with ANI inputs)

(image: ANI)