Explore Kevadia : The new tourism hotspot of India

Last month Prime Minister Modi  flagged off  8 trains connecting Statue of Unity at Kevadia, Gujarat to different regions of India.One of the new trains is the Jan Shatabdi Express between Ahmedabad and Kevadia with Vistadome coaches.The main attraction of the town, the Statue of Unity, has more footfalls than the Statue of Liberty in the United States. Kevadia has transformed into a complete tourism package with all amenities.

Location

Kevadia is a tribal village in the Narmada District of Gujarat. It is located between Satpura and Vindhyachal ranges on the bank of Narmada River. It is home to the second largest concrete dam in the world Sardar Sarovar Dam and Reservoir.

How to reach?

By Road : About  200 kilometre from the State Capital Ahmedabad, and  420 kilometre from Mumbai, the various ways to reach the site is by driving on State Highway 11 and 63. You will arrive into the nearest town of Kevadia in the Narmada district.

By Train : There are total 8 trains connecting different parts of the country to Kevadia.

• Train No. 09103/04 Varanasi-Kevadia Mahamana Superfast Express (Weekly).
• Train No. 02927/28 Dadar-Kevadia Superfast Express (Daily).
• Train Nos. 09247/48 Ahmedabad-Kevadia Jan Shatabdi (Daily).
• Train No. 09145/ 46 Kevadia-Hazrat Nizamuddin Superfast Express(Bi-Weekly).
• Train No. 09105/06 Rewa-Kevadia Mahamana Superfast Express (Weekly).
• Train No. 09120/19Kevadia-MGR Chennai Central SuperfastExpress (Weekly).
• Train No. 09109/ 10 Pratapnagar-Kevadia MEMU (Daily).
• Train No. 09107/08 Pratapnagar-Kevadia MEMU (Daily).

Trains can be booked from IRCTC

By Air: Spice Shuttle, a fully- owned subsidiary of Spice Jet  operates four round-trips of seaplane between Sabarmati Riverfront Ahmedabad and Statue of Unity Kevadia in a day. 

To book the Sea Plane click here.

Major Attractions in Kevadia

Statue of Unity

The Statue of Unity is the world’s tallest statue with a height of 182 metres. A huge exhibition hall covering an area of 4,647 square metres has been set up in the pedestal of the Statue of Unity.  The monument also boasts of a viewing gallery at 135m height at the chest of the statue with a capacity of 200 tourists at a given time. A Light and Sound show using laser technology projected on the Statue of Unity takes place every evening except Monday.

Ekta Cruise and Sardar Sorovar Nauka Vihar

A unique way to see the Statue of Unity, world tallest statue, is through the river cruise. A passenger boat gives a breathtaking view of the statue and commutes you to Statue of Unity. There is also a lake named Panchmuli Lake in Kevadia. Boating facility has been developed at Panchmuli Lake. Tourists coming to Kevadia are also enjoying the pristine nature with this boat ride. Entire waterbody is surrounded by lush green forests.

Khalwani Eco Toursim and Adventure Zone

Khalwani Eco-Tourism is located near Sardar Sarovar Dam along the bank of a perennial stream fed by the waters released from the Godbole Gate.River rafting is one of the popular sport and a recreational activity here. It provides an excellent opportunity to experience this utterly exhilarating water sport. Visitors will also enjoy activities like cycling,river crossing, Burma Bridge, river rafting, tubing, rock climbing & rappelling.

Jungle Safari

The Jungle Safari covers 558,240 square metres on the right bank of the Narmada River, about 2 kilometre from the SOU. The park is home to more than 400 species of fauna, covering various biomes of Africa, Australia, Asia and America. Visitors will also be able to spot India’s endangered species, which includes the magnificent animals such as Asiatic lion, Royal Bengal Tiger and Leopard. The safari route has been designed such that the visitors can view animal activities.The safari also has 1,100 exotic birds the only safari of its kind in the country with such a wide range of bird species.

Cactus Garden

The Cactus Garden is a unique botanical garden at the Statue of Unity site, created to exhibit a huge variety of Cacti and succulents, the true miracles of adaptation. The thought behind the development of the cactus garden is to provide an experience of the desert ecosystem in the midst of a landmass well entrenched in an aquatic surrounding. There are 6 lakh plants of 450 species spread across 25 acres of open land and inside the dome having an area of 836 square metres.

Children Nutrition Park

The nutrition park provides a high quality entertainment and vital knowledge to the children on healthy eating habits and nutritional values based on the theme of “SAHI POSHAN DESH ROSHAN.” Entire park is designed and implemented for the benefits of the children and extensive use of state of the art technology is being made, which gives a fascinating experience to the children visiting the park.

Butterfly Garden

Butterfly Garden,The Butterfly Garden along the banks of Narmada river, makes it an attractive spot . The garden harbours more than 70 species of butterflies. The garden is covering 10 acres of area with 150 species of nectar plants and larval host plants.Since butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers, there are hundreds of flowering plants that will provide them with food.

Night Glow Garden

The Unity Glow Garden radiates a festive blaze. The theme park has been developed with glimmering installation, shiny figures and optical illusion. The LED fountain illuminates the future of night tourism. The garden is already a popular destination. Tourists are overjoyed by entertainment that never sleeps. In fact, there has been a surge in tourists wanting to experience the beauty of Kevadia at night.

What will be the cost of visiting these attractions?

The entry fee to the SOU will be Rs 150 for adults and Rs 90 for children. 

A full tour package covering all major attractions will cost around Rs 3000 for adults and Rs 2,400 for children.

Bookings are available online on SOU Tickets

Where to stay?

There are multiple options for accommodation ranging from Home Stay with local villagers and Budget Hotels to Premium and Luxury Rooms. A Tent City is also developed for those interested in out door living. Some of the options are listed below.

• Narmada Tent City
• Shreshtha Bharat Bhavan (Ramada Encore)
• BGR Budget Stay
• Sardar Sarovar Resort

 Gujarat Tourism Department has also developed a Tourist Guide App for visitors.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, Kevadia has been developed as Global Tourist destination. A survey pointed out that as the connectivity in the area is increasing, around one lakh tourists will visit Kevadia each day in the future. It will generate significant direct and indirect employment and economic opportunities for local villagers and tribal population.