Standing almost twice as tall of Statue of Liberty in New York and four times as high as Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, the Statue of Unity in Gujarat is a tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 143rd birth anniversary.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the world’s tallest statue (at 182 meters), which has been close to three years in the making and is located 240 meters at Kevadiya in Narmada district. Videos posted by Reuters and ANI offered glimpses of the statue in its finished stage and during the inauguration.

Ram V Sutar, a renowned sculptor from Noida, was the architect while Larsen & Toubro designed and executed the project using a team of over 3,000 workers and 250 engineers at a cost of Rs 2,389 crore. The statue can withstand heavy winds of up to 130 km per hour and earthquakes up to 6.5 on Richter scale. Its viewing gallery, at 153 meters, offers an expansive view of the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

The project, however, has also faced stiff opposition from tribals who said the government was violating their rights by taking over the lands that belonged to them. The police on Tuesday also arrested several activists on for fear of protests.