Modi@8: Statues, temples, bridges, tunnel — the many architectural marvels of Narendra Modi’s India

India under Narendra Modi has changed drastically. Since taking the reins of the country in 2014, the prime minister has not only brought about a social and economic change, but there’s also been many an architectural marvels in his rule.

As time passes by, the Narendra Modi years will be remembered as the season of gigantic, breathtaking sculptures and never-seen-before tunnels and bridges.

From towering statues to longest bridges — here’s a list of some of the most amazing architectural marvels that have been constructed in the Narendra Modi regime.

Statue of Unity

In October 2018, Narendra Modi inaugurated the Statue of Unity, a 182-metre giant structure built in honour of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on an islet, Sadhu Bet, near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Narmada district of Gujarat.

Now, holding the record for the world’s tallest statue — it is twice the height of Statue of Liberty.

The ambitious project cost Rs 2,389 crore and required 25,000 tonnes of iron and 90,000 tonnes of cement. Nearly 3,400 labourers and 250 engineers worked round-the-clock at the site.

By 2021, the statue turned into an international tourist destination, with the gigantic monument attracting more than five million visitors from across the world.

Bogibeel Bridge

It was a moment of celebrations and pride when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 4.94-km-long Bogibeel Bridge over the mighty Brahmaputra. With this, India got its longest rail-cum-road bridge.

It also boasts of being Asia’s second longest rail-cum-road bridge. The 4.9-km bridge cuts down the train-travel time between Tinsukia in Assam to Naharlagun town of Arunachal Pradesh by more than 10 hours.

The project was initially sanctioned at a cost of Rs 3,230.02 crore and the final cost was revised to Rs 5,920 crore.

Besides offering better connectivity to the public, the bridge also helps in shoring up its defence requirements along the Sino-Indian border.

Atal Tunnel

The all-weather Atal tunnel was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2020.

Located at an altitude of more than 10, 000 feet, the 9.02 km tunnel — connecting Manali with Lahaul — has been recognised as the world’s longest single tube highway at this height by the World Book of Records, London.

This iconic tunnel is an engineering marvel in the Himalayas, and has proved to be a game changer for Lahaul and Spiti district as it offers safe and all-weather connectivity to the remote regions, and eventually with the rest of India.

Apart from safe travel, the tunnel, built at a cost of Rs 3,200 crore, has reduced the distance between Manali and Keylong by 46 km, thereby saving more than two hours of travel time.

Adi Shankaracharya statue

On the morning of 5 November 2021, ahead of the Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the 12-foot high statue of Guru Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath.

The Shankaracharya statue, weighing 35 tonnes, was built at the seer’s samadhi sthal that has been redeveloped after it suffered heavy damage during the 2013 deluge.

Hindustan Times reported that Mysore sculptor Yogiraj Shilpi completed the work on the statue with help from his son, Arun. Yogiraj was contracted by the Prime Minister’s Office after a nationwide search. Yogiraj started work on making the statue in September 2020.

Kashi Vishwanath Corridor

“Today history has been created by reviving the sociocultural history of this ancient city, which is vibrant with Hindu philosophy as enshrined in our religious books,” said Narendra Modi as he inaugurated the Rs 700 crore Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi in December 2021.

The project the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor connects the various ghats to the historic Kashi Vishwanath Dham near the iconic and one of the most ancient ghats — Dashashwamedh Ghat.

Under the project, the area around the temple has been expanded from 3,000 to five lakh square feet. Around 40 temples have been restored to their original glory around here and 23 buildings have been added to the structure providing various facilities.

Due to the project, pilgrims no more have to walk through the congested lanes to visit the temple, as it would be directly visible from the Ganga and easily accessible.

In a 45-minute speech, Narendra Modi said India was focused on reviving its lost heritage and was stepping out of the “inferiority” complex brought on by centuries of “slavery”.

“Tyrants attacked this city, tried to destroy it. History is witness to Aurangzeb’s atrocities, his terror. He tried to change civilisation with the sword,” he said. “But the soil of this country is different from the rest of the world. Here if an Aurangzeb comes, a Shivaji also rises,” he added, raising the chant of ‘Har Har Mahadev’, associated with Hindu god Shiva.

In his speech, Modi called Varanasi “imperishable” and a “class apart”, and took on his political opponents. He said when the corridor was conceived, some people, due to their vested interests and politics, used to say, “How will it happen? It will not happen. Many people like Modi have come and gone.”

“But Kashi is Kashi. Kashi is imperishable,” he added. “There is only one government in Kashi, the government of Mahadev who holds damru in his hand”.

Hanuman Statue

On the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, Prime Minister unveiled a 108 feet statue of Lord Hanuman in Gujarat’s Morbi. The statue is the second of the four statues being set up in four parts of the country, as part of the Hanumanji Char Dham project.

Upcoming projects

Ahead of the general elections in 2024, other engineering and architectural gems are to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ram Mandir in Ayodhya: The inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is expected in 2023. The temple authorities recently released a 3D video giving a preview of the project. The video gives a quick virtual tour of how the Ram Temple will look once the construction is complete.

The temple is expected to be a three-storey structure with garbh griha and five mandapas.

Chenab Bridge: In September, the world will finally get the world’s highest railway bridge in the form of the Chenab Bridge. Located in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, it is 1,315-metre long and aims to boost connectivity to the Kashmir Valley.

On completion, the Chenab Bridge will hold the distinction of being the highest railway bridge in the world at 359 metres above the river bed level. For reference, it is 35 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower in France.

Netaji statue at India Gate: In January, Narendra Modi announced that his government would be installing a statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at India Gate to honour his contribution to the independence movement.

The grand statue, made of granite and standing tall at 25 feet, will be installed under the grand canopy where the Amar Jawan Jyoti flickers in remembrance of India’s martyrs.

New Parliament building: The new structure, construction began in 2020, will be a four-storey structure with a seating capacity of 1,224 and cost Rs 970 crore.

The building, triangular in shape, would carry three themes — the national flower, the lotus, the national bird; the peacock and the banyan tree, national tree. While the lotus would feature in the Rajya Sabha of the new structure, the peacock and the banyan tree would be predominant in the Lok Sabha and Central Lounge, respectively.

The new building will also have fresco paintings on the ceiling, shlokas inscribed on the interior walls, and the national emblem crowning the structure, said news reports. The new building, being constructed by Tata Projects Ltd and designed by Ahmedabad-based HCP Design and Management Pvt Limited, will be equipped with all modern audio-visual communication facilities and data network systems.

With inputs from agencies

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