Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated 23 projects and laid the foundation stones for eight more at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, unveiling a Rs 426.71 crore package aimed at turning the Statue of Unity area into a bigger, better equipped tourist destination. The announcements came on Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, marking the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the leader to whom the world’s tallest statue is dedicated.
Modi began the day by paying floral tributes at the Statue of Unity, located near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Narmada district. He then inaugurated projects worth Rs 307.83 crore and laid foundation stones for works worth Rs 118.88 crore, covering tourism, civic infrastructure and roads. He also visited the new Rain Forest attraction during the day.
What was unveiled at Ekta Nagar
The package is wide ranging. It is not a single attraction but a set of works designed to fix the small frustrations that shape a visitor’s day: how people move around, where they stay, how they reach the riverfront, and what they can do beyond the statue itself.
Among the inaugurated projects are a sewage treatment plant, a water treatment plant, facade lighting across the Statue of Unity campus, the upgraded Shoolpaneshwar Narmada Ghat, an IRCTC hotel, and the Rainforest, Unity and Eco Trail attractions. Travelators worth Rs 28.22 crore have been added to ease movement for visitors, along with a parade track, staff quarters, CISF barracks, a terminal building and jetty near Mokhadi village, water stations, an extended walkway from Ekta Nagar railway station to the Visitor Centre, and fountains at several sites.
The eight foundation stone projects point to the next phase of growth. They include the Gora-Bhanadra Road, a smart zero-waste integrated solid waste management system, Khalwani eco-tourism development, and an integrated Cactus and Butterfly Garden, besides the Khalwani Bridge, widening of Vaghadia Road, and a disaster control room for the Sardar Sarovar Dam.
The headline attractions visitors will notice first
For most visitors, three new attractions will stand out immediately. The first is the IRCTC hotel, built at a cost of Rs 50 crore, which adds organised stay options close to the statue complex. The second is the Ekta Cruise, a 600-passenger vessel costing Rs 16 crore, which will operate on the Narmada and strengthen river tourism around Ekta Nagar.
The third is the Rain Forest, spread across 12 acres near the New Gora Bridge, about 5 km from the Statue of Unity. Built at a cost of Rs 14.30 crore, it recreates a rainforest environment through the year, with 20 rain-gun towers producing artificial rainfall, waterfalls, bubble fountains and landscaped greenery featuring trees from different parts of India. Its centrepiece is a circular glass skywalk made from 132 panels of 35 mm thick glass. The structure is 22 metres in diameter and rises 11 metres above the ground, giving visitors a walk above the forest landscape. An Eco Trail costing Rs 3.67 crore adds another nature focused experience to the circuit.
The infrastructure behind the tourism push
Behind the attractions sits a substantial civic package. The sewage treatment plant costs Rs 45.53 crore and the water treatment plant Rs 21.40 crore, while the parade track and associated works cost Rs 23.81 crore. A 24-metre colony road costing Rs 23 crore and staff quarters worth Rs 14.25 crore are also part of the inaugurated works, along with road work near Gate No. 8, the beautification of the Narmada Ghat, and the development of Ekta Prakash Parv.
Why Patel’s birth anniversary frames the visit
October 31 is observed every year as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, and the timing of the visit is central to its message. Patel, India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and first Home Minister, is remembered for the integration of princely states after Independence, and the Statue of Unity, dedicated in 2018, stands as the most visible symbol of that legacy.
The evening programme at Ekta Nagar is scheduled to feature the Ekta Parade, with contingents from the Central Armed Police Forces, state police forces and central police organisations, alongside cultural performances centred on Vande Mataram involving thousands of artists from across the country.
The Ekta Nagar visit caps a two-day Gujarat tour. On Friday, Modi visited Banaskantha district and inaugurated Bharat Parv 2026 at Ekta Nagar, a cultural festival showcasing the traditions, folk performances, regional cuisines, handicrafts and tourism offerings of states and Union Territories, which will continue until November 15.
FAQs
How many projects did PM Modi unveil at Ekta Nagar on October 31?
He inaugurated 23 projects and laid the foundation stones for eight more, a total of 31 projects worth Rs 426.71 crore.
What are the main new attractions at Ekta Nagar?
An IRCTC hotel costing Rs 50 crore, the 600-passenger Ekta Cruise costing Rs 16 crore, a 12-acre Rain Forest costing Rs 14.30 crore with a glass skywalk, and an Eco Trail costing Rs 3.67 crore.
Why was the visit held on October 31?
October 31 marks Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary, observed as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, and Ekta Nagar is home to the Statue of Unity dedicated to him.
Where is Ekta Nagar located?
Ekta Nagar is in Narmada district of Gujarat, near the Sardar Sarovar Dam, and is home to the Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue.
Ekta Nagar’s newest chapter opened on a day dedicated to unity.
