Kevadia Bureau
Summary: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning paid floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Statue of Unity in Kevadia on the Iron Man’s 151st birth anniversary, and then inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 31 tourism and infrastructure projects worth Rs 426.71 crore at Ekta Nagar. The Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations and a grand Ekta Parade are scheduled for the evening, themed on the security forces’ success against Left-Wing Extremism.
Hindi version: read the full story in Hindi.
India is observing Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, or National Unity Day, on 31 October, marking the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, remembered as the Iron Man of India. Patel is credited with integrating hundreds of princely states into the Indian Union after Independence, laying the foundation of an undivided India. This year, Ekta Nagar in Gujarat’s Narmada district is the centre of the national celebrations, with the Prime Minister taking part in programmes there through the day.
Saturday is the second day of the Prime Minister’s two-day Gujarat visit. On 30 October, the first day, he attended development programmes in Banaskantha and reached Ekta Nagar in the evening to inaugurate Bharat Parv. Saturday began with tributes to Sardar Patel and continued with the inauguration and foundation-laying of projects at Ekta Nagar.
Floral tributes at the Statue of Unity
On Saturday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the Statue of Unity at Kevadia and offered flowers at the statue of Sardar Patel. The Statue of Unity is the world’s tallest statue and stands on the bank of the Narmada river at Ekta Nagar. In a message on social media, the Prime Minister described Patel as the architect of Akhand Bharat and the Iron Man of the nation, saying he had dedicated his life to building a strong, prosperous and capable India.
Tributes were also paid in Delhi, where President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Home Minister Amit Shah were among those who remembered Patel. Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off the Run for Unity in Delhi, which saw large public participation.
Rs 426.71 crore, 31 projects for Ekta Nagar
After the tributes, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 31 tourism and infrastructure projects at Ekta Nagar, with a combined outlay of Rs 426.71 crore. Of these, 23 projects worth Rs 307.83 crore were inaugurated, while foundation stones were laid for eight projects worth Rs 118.88 crore.
The inaugurated projects include an IRCTC hotel built at a cost of Rs 50 crore, the Ekta Cruise costing Rs 16 crore, a Rain Forest attraction worth Rs 14.30 crore and an Eco Trail costing Rs 3.67 crore. The package also includes a sewage treatment plant and a water treatment plant, facade lighting at the Statue of Unity campus, upgradation of the Narmada Ghat, travelators, a parade track, staff quarters and upgradation of the Unity Glow Garden.
The foundation-stone projects include the development of the Gora-Bhandra Road, an integrated zero-waste smart solid waste management project, the development of Khalwani Eco-Tourism and the integrated development of the Cactus and Butterfly Garden. These projects are expected to improve visitor facilities at Ekta Nagar and create new employment opportunities for local people.
Rain Forest and Vaman Vriksha Vatika visit
After the inauguration programme, the Prime Minister also visited the Rain Forest and the Vaman Vriksha Vatika at Ekta Nagar. The Rain Forest is a new tourism attraction that recreates a rainforest environment, while the Vaman Vriksha Vatika holds a collection of plants and trees of different species. Both sites are being positioned as key parts of the Ekta Nagar tourism experience.
Tourism facilities around the Statue of Unity have expanded rapidly in recent years, with hotels, cruises, trails and cultural venues forming a complete network. The new projects are expected to further increase the number of visitors to the region.
Evening Ekta Diwas celebrations and grand parade
The main Rashtriya Ekta Diwas function will be held at Ekta Nagar on Saturday evening at around 5:30 pm, featuring a grand Ekta Parade. Contingents of the Central Armed Police Forces, state police forces and central police organisations will take part, along with women security personnel, Cobra commandos, bike rallies and cultural performances by thousands of artists.
This year’s parade is themed on the success of the security forces against Left-Wing Extremism. Through the parade, the contribution of the security forces and the progress towards peace in Naxal-affected areas will be highlighted, along with cultural performances celebrating the country’s diversity and unity.
Unity runs and pledge across the country
Across the country, Run for Unity events, padyatras and unity pledge ceremonies are being held to mark Rashtriya Ekta Diwas. Taking the pledge to uphold the unity, integrity and security of the nation has become a central tradition of the day in government offices and public institutions, with special programmes in schools and colleges in several states.
The occasion also saw political exchanges. Home Minister Amit Shah said the Congress had tried to make people forget Sardar Patel, while Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury responded by recalling that Patel had banned the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The remarks have become part of the political debate around Patel’s legacy.
The Iron Man’s legacy
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was born on 31 October 1875 and died on 15 December 1950. A barrister, freedom fighter and independent India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, he used firm resolve and diplomacy to merge hundreds of princely states into the Indian Union after Independence. That is why he is remembered as the Iron Man of India and the architect of Akhand Bharat.
His birth anniversary is observed every year as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, to connect the younger generation with his legacy of unity. The Statue of Unity was built to give that legacy a permanent memorial and today draws tourists from across the world.
What next for Ekta Nagar tourism
The new projects are expected to give fresh momentum to tourism at Ekta Nagar. The IRCTC hotel, Ekta Cruise, Rain Forest and Eco Trail will improve the stay and sightseeing experience for visitors, while road, waste-management and ghat-development works will strengthen the region’s long-term capacity.
The evening Ekta Parade will close the day’s National Unity Day celebrations, while festivals such as Bharat Parv, inaugurated on 30 October and running till 15 November, and the Ekta Prakash Parv illumination festival will continue in the coming days. The visit is being seen as another step towards developing Ekta Nagar as a world-class tourism destination.
Disclaimer: This news has been prepared on the basis of available sources and verification. If any fact is found incorrect, a correction will be published.
