Picto Diary - 14 April 2024 - The Statue of Unity

Above: Statue of Unity. Kevadia, Gujarat. 14 April 2024.

Image. See TIMDT in red skirt.

The Statue of Unity, completed in 2019, is the world's tallest statue, with a height of 597 feet (Statue of Liberty, 151 feet). The statue depicts Indian statesman and independence activist Vallabhbhai Patel (1875 - 1950). Patel, a Gujarati, was a close associate of Gandhi (also a Gujarati) and Nehru in the quest for Indian independence. Patel was the first deputy prime minister and home minister of independent India. Post 1947 independence, Patel is credited as the catalyst for the political integration of India, overseeing, among others, the process of incorporating the five hundred eighty-four Indian princely states, not under direct British control, into greater India.

Seeing The Statue of Unity was a prerequisite for me making this trip to India. TravelScope India, who has excelled at facilitating numerous trips for TIMDT to India, hedged a bit, not just on the Statue of Unity, but also on Gujarat itself. "Are you sure you guys want to go there?" Gujarat is not at the top of the list of Indian tourist destinations. To be sure, there are plenty of things going on in Gujarat. The state is the economic leader of Indian states. But, as a tourist destination, it's not yet "there" yet.

The Statue of Unity is a five-hour drive south from Ahmedabad. TravelScope suggested that we drive two thirds of the distance from Ahmedabad to the statue, to Vadodara, where hotel accommodations were good, where there was a maharaja palace to see, and where we could meet up with Jayant Parikh, the artist who painted the painting we purchased in New Delhi fifty-two years ago. We would drive to The Statue of Unity the next morning, see the statue during a cooler part of the day, and then return to Ahmedabad. This trip plan worked out very well.

For me, The Statue of Unity symbolizes India's aspirational quest to become a leading global economy and world power as a democracy. In contrast, the America, as it tears down statues embodying its own foundational democratic circumstances, bears witness to the onset of civilizational decline. Opposite the oft depressing sensation of watching America question the legitimacy of its origins, I love the impression of the goal oriented, ambitious pursuit of progress I feel and see when I'm in India.

Where India erects the largest statue in the world honoring one of its founders, Portland tears down a statue of George Washington and the state of New Jersey builds statues of George Floyd, a common criminal, and of drag queens and prostitutes.

The true character of a nation can be discerned by the symbols with which it chooses to identify. In this regard, India's, forward, even if chaotic, momentum is confirmed by the grandiosity of The Statue of Unity. America is not yet wholly captured by negative and self-loathing symbols, but if the current trend of national deprecation is not reversed, look to nations like India to take America's place as avatars of democratic human progress.

Above: Rani Ki Vav stepwell. Patan, Gujarat. 14 April 2024.

World Heritage site. 10th century. Virtually all of Bhagavad Gita is sculpted on stepwell walls. Stunning.

Above: Patola Saris. Patan, Gujarat. 14 April 2024.

A Patola sari. Five weavers create one sari in six months. 900-year family tradition.

Above: Dung patties, drying on a wall, to be used for fuel. Patan, Gujarat. 14 April 2024.

Above: Sun Temple. Modhera, Gujarat. 14 April 2024.

Kama Sutra engravings.

Above: Adalaj Stepwell. Ahmedabad, Gujarat. 14 April 2024.

Looking up. Top of the structure is ground level. Kudos to TIMDT to making it to the bottom and back up. Slow going, but she did it!

Above: Drums on his 18th birthday. 14 April 2024.

Addendum:

Wow very informative thank you.

Brand Man,
Ventura, CA

Steve,

Wonderful trip you and Margaret are having in India and terrific pictures.

We may have bit of a coincidence. We just returned from the Venice Biennale where we visited an exhibition by the Chanakya Foundation founded by Karishma Swali (herself an artist) and supporting two well known artists, Madhvi Parekh, Manu Parekh. The Foundation is in Bombay, but the Parekhs are Gujarati but now live and have their studios in New Delhi. I wonder if they might be related to Jayant Parikh, although the Anglicized spelling is different the name is so close plus the artistic DNA They paint, they do sculptures and they make remarkable embroidery art.

The foundation supports the Chanakya School of Craft for young girls to learn the Indian craft of embroidery art and to empower women through craft, culture and creating new autonomy for women.,

It was a beautiful exhibition and Karishma was extremely generous with her time and an absolute delight.

Tom,
Aspen, CO

Hi Steve,

We have four drawings of a famous Lahore artist…Abdur Rahman Chughai which we picked up in Pakistan in the 1970s. I only met the son.

Best,

SFS,
Washington, DC

Steve,

You have the memory of an Indian bull elephant as you'll never let me live down my ascent of Kilimanjaro with the porters! 😎

Enjoying your travel log of family trip with similar memories thanks to you sending me to TravelScope!

In regard to your comments on "tech" India vs. undeveloped sections, anecdotally I observed the dramatic difference of BMI & body types. With urban population "westernized" overweight, corpulent, pudgy much like Americans & shopping malls with fast food & luxury boutiques. Whereas rural populations were still very physical, walking with dung, wood or food on their head but still with cell phones.

Working on a couple speakers for LSDM.

Regards,
Kilimanjaro,
Jackson, WY