WHAT TO VISIT

A Light and Sound show using laser technology projected on the Statue of Unity takes place every evening except Monday. The colourful laser lighting system is accompanied by an excellent narration of the history and life of Sardar Patel, his contribution to the Independence Movement and the unification of India as one nation.

The Valley of Flowers is spread across 600 acres with a length of 6 kilometre from Vindhyachal and 11 kilometre on Satpuda side. The Valley of Flower began with 48,000 plants in 2016 and has now reached upto 2,400,000 plants. There are five unique creations at the valley in the form of thematic parks-gardens namely: Garden of Senses & Panchatatva Garden, Green Energy & Upcycling Park, Sardar Park, Butterfly Garden and Adventure Park.

Besides the parks, several photo booths and selfie points have been developed to take back memories of the visit. Two beautifully located lotus ponds enhance the visitor experience.

Sardar Sarovar Dam

The Sardar Sarovar Dam is the third highest concrete dam (163 metres) in India after Bhakra (226 metres) in Himachal Pradesh and Lakhwar (192 metres) in Uttar Pradesh. In terms of volume of concrete involved for gravity dams, this dam is ranked as the second largest in the world with an aggregate volume of 6.82 million cubic metre; only after Grand Coulee Dam in the USA with a total volume of 8.0 million cubic metre being the largest. This dam, with its spillway discharging capacity of 85,000 cubic metre  per second (3 million cubic foot per second), stands third in the world, Gazenba (113,000 cubic metre per second) in China and Tucurri (100,000 cubic metre per second) in Brazil being the first two.

The reservoir occupies an area of 37,000 hectares and has linear stretch of 214 kilometre of water and an average width of 1.77 kilometre. The Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of the Sardar Sarovar Dam is fixed at RL 138.68 metres (455 feet).

The River Bed Power House is an underground power house stationed on the right bank of the river located about 165 metres downstream of the dam. It has six Francis type reversible turbine generators with 200 MegaWatt installed capacity each.

The Godbole Gate releases water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam back to the river Narmada, thus sustaining the downstream eco-system.

The Head Regulator of Main Canal is an off-taking structure and is 82.6 metres long having 5 radial gates of size 12.20 metres x 13.50 metres. It is the origin of 458 kilometre long Narmada Main Canal which is one of the world’s largest concrete-lined irrigation canals with a capacity of 40,000 cubic feet/second. Annually, 11.7 billion cubic metre of water is conveyed through this canal.

Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over an area of 607.70 square kilometre. It includes a major watershed feeding two major reservoirs with the Rajpipla hills as a backdrop. The thick vegetative ground cover not only provides endless greenery but also a huge habitat to a variety of life forms. The sanctuary derives its name ‘Shoolpaneshwar’ from the historic temple of Lord Shiva, which once existed in this region on the banks of river Narmada.

The flora of the ecosystem consists of semi-evergreen to moist deciduous forest. There are more than 575 species of flowering plants like Timru, Amla, Khair, Aritha, Sadad, Tanachh, Karanj, Bamboo, Mahuda, Bor, Herde, Amaltas etc. The sanctuary is a home to 32 species of mammals, several species of reptiles, 198 species of birds and many animals like sloth bear, leopard, rhesus macaque, common mongoose, Indian civet cat, Indian porcupine, four-horned antelope, barking deer, chital, pangolin, flying squirrel, python, snakes, lizards, tortoises, etc. The sanctuary has the rare distinction of having flying squirrels.

The original Shoolpaneshwar Temple was submerged due to the Sardar Sarovar Reservoir. However, a new Shoolpaneshwar temple was later built near Rajpipla. The word ‘Shoolpaneshwar’ refers to Lord Shiva portrayed as having a ‘Shool’ or ‘Trishul’ in his hand or `Pani’.

Rajpipla is 36 kilometre away from the Sardar Sarovar Dam. It was once the centre of a princely state and famous for its palaces. The palace is a favourite location for Bhojpuri film shoots throughout the year.

Chanod is a city of temples located at the confluence of the Narmada, Orsang and Saraswati rivers, and is therefore considered highly sacred. The temple of Kashivishwanath Mahadev, the major attraction of which is its interesting wall paintings, can be visited here.

Garudeshwar is home to the temple of Garudeshwar Mahadev. This ancient temple of Lord Shiva is situated on the Northern bank of Narmada River, near the town of Rajpipla. It is around 2,000 years old. It is based on the story that Lord Shiva took the form of an eagle to destroy evil forces and thereby is named as Garudeshwar.

Karnali is famous for its Kuber Bhandari Temple which is said to be around 2,500 years old. At this temple, Lord Shiva is worshipped as Kuber Bhandari.

The Karjan Dam, located on a tributary of River Narmada in Gujarat, is a 903 metre long and 100 metre high concrete gravity dam. The dam stores 630 million cubic metre of water for irrigation purposes. The dam is located 10 kilometre from the town of Rajpipla.

Night Trekking, an exciting activity for visitors of the Statue of Unity, offers an opportunity to be closer to nature and experience the creatures of the dark in the wooded environs of Kevadia. Join the hands of Forest Department to patrol the forest in the night hours, on foot!

Gifted with some of the most beautiful scenery of the jungle at the confluence of Vindhyachal and Satpuda ranges and nurtured by the holy waters of Narmada, this forest embodies the monsoon grandeur of the Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Experience the adrenaline rush from the thrilling trek through the nocturnal life and explore the hidden facets of nature's beauty.  Forest guards accompany you and ensure safety and security.

Launching June 2019

Bird watching, the observation of live birds in their natural habitat, is a popular pastime and also is a scientific sport that has developed almost entirely in the 20thcentury.

India’s rich natural landscape has long been the refuge of birds from all over the world. And there is no better way to enjoy the natural splendour of the birds of India than by undertaking bird watching tours.

Shoolpaneshwar Sanctuary is one such location in India near Statue of Unity which provides an excellent opportunity to Bird watching enthusiasts. With the thick wooded forests and perennially flowing Narmada River, it provides an ideal habitat for birds. Crested serpent eagle, shikra, sparrow hawk, great-horned owl, grey hornbill, red and gray jungle fowls and variety of birds can be spotted in this forest.

Bird Watching tour allows you to enjoy the magnificent natural landscapes where these birds dwell, along with the sights and sounds of these beautiful species.

Visitors can carry back with them several memories of their visit by buying mementos in the form of caps, t-shirts, Statue of Unity replica, etc. at the Souvenir Shop located inside of the SoU.