Shekhawat joins as PM Modi inaugurates projects at Ekta Nagar
Synopsis
On Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, PM Modi laid foundation stones and inaugurated projects at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, marking the 8th anniversary of the Statue of Unity. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared the live stream, underlining the Culture and Tourism ministry's stake in the site's continued development.
Key Takeaways
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stones for multiple projects at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat on 31 October 2026 .
The date marks Rashtriya Ekta Diwas and the 8th anniversary of the Statue of Unity's inauguration in 2018 .
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat broadcast the live event via his official X account.
Ekta Nagar (formerly Kevadia) in Narmada district has been developed as a flagship national tourism destination since 2018.
The Central government has followed a phased annual development model at Ekta Nagar, using each 31 October to announce new projects.
The specific projects inaugurated on this occasion are yet to be officially detailed in the public domain.
On the 8th anniversary of the Statue of Unity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stones and inaugurated multiple projects at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat on Saturday, 31 October 2026 — with Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat tuning in live and amplifying the event from New Delhi.
Ekta Nagar: from a dam colony to a national tourism anchor
Ekta Nagar, formerly known as Kevadia in Narmada district, Gujarat, has been systematically transformed since 2018 into one of India's most ambitious tourism destinations. The trigger was PM Modi's inauguration of the Statue of Unity on 31 October 2018 — the world's tallest statue, standing at 182 metres, built as a tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the architect of India's integration. The date is no accident: every 31 October is observed as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day), Patel's birth anniversary, and Modi has consistently used it to deepen investment in the site.
Since that first inauguration, the Central government has layered tourism infrastructure around the statue — tent cities, a jungle safari, a cactus garden, a children's nutrition park, a railway station, and river rafting facilities — turning what was once a dam colony into a destination that draws millions annually. Today's round of projects continues that phased expansion playbook.
Shekhawat's stake: Culture and Tourism's role in Ekta Nagar's growth
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the BJP Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Rajasthan, holds the Culture and Tourism portfolio at the Centre — making Ekta Nagar directly relevant to his ministry's mandate. The site sits at the intersection of heritage tourism, national integration narrative, and adventure tourism, three verticals the ministry has been actively promoting under the broader 'Dekho Apna Desh' push. His live engagement with the event signals the ministry's intent to keep Ekta Nagar central to its flagship tourism pitch.
The Central government's sustained focus on sites linked to Sardar Patel reflects a deliberate pattern: anchoring national unity symbolism to concrete tourism infrastructure, with state–centre coordination in Gujarat serving as a template that other states are watching closely.
Why 31 October keeps mattering
The choice of date carries weight beyond ceremony. Each Rashtriya Ekta Diwas has doubled as a deadline for the next tranche of Ekta Nagar development, creating a rhythm of annual announcements that sustain media attention and investor interest. For the tourism ministry, that rhythm is a policy asset — a guaranteed annual spotlight on a site that needs footfall to justify its infrastructure investment. Today's inaugurations, whatever their specific scope, land squarely inside that larger architecture of intent.
The story of Ekta Nagar is still being built — one foundation stone at a time.
Point of View
Giving the BJP a recurring moment to demonstrate governance at a site of deep ideological resonance. For Shekhawat's Culture and Tourism Ministry, amplifying the event reinforces the ministry's claim over the Statue of Unity ecosystem as a tourism asset, not just a heritage symbol. The pattern also signals how Centre-state coordination in Gujarat continues to serve as a proof-of-concept model. Whether the momentum translates into sustained tourist footfall and revenue — the harder metric — remains the story beyond the ceremony.
NationPress
31 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is PM Modi inaugurating projects at Ekta Nagar on 31 October?
31 October is Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day), the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel . PM Modi inaugurated the Statue of Unity on this date in 2018 and has since used each anniversary to launch new development projects at Ekta Nagar.
What is Ekta Nagar and where is it located?
Ekta Nagar , formerly called Kevadia , is a town in Narmada district, Gujarat . It is home to the Statue of Unity , the world's tallest statue, and has been developed into a major national tourism destination.
What is the Statue of Unity?
The Statue of Unity is the world's tallest statue at 182 metres , depicting Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel . It was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on 31 October 2018 in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat , as a symbol of national integration.
Why is Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat following the Ekta Nagar event?
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is India's Union Minister of Culture and Tourism . Ekta Nagar is a flagship site for the tourism ministry, making its development directly relevant to his portfolio.
What projects were inaugurated at Ekta Nagar on 31 October 2026?
The specific list of projects inaugurated by PM Modi at Ekta Nagar on 31 October 2026 has not yet been officially detailed in the public domain. The event included both fresh foundation stones and inaugurations of completed works.
