10 things to do at Ekta Nagar

I was pleasantly surprised to know about the beautiful town of Ekta Nagar. Famous for the Statue of Unity, Ekta Nagar is much more than the statue itself. It is a place that acts like a mini self sufficient city and has so many things to do and see for tourists. In this post, I would like to mention the 10 things visitors can do at Ekta Nagar.

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About Ekta Nagar

Formerly known as Kevadia, Ekta Nagar is a town located on the banks of River Narmada. The town is home to Sardar Sarovar Dam reservoir on River Narmada and was a very famous picnic spot before it rose to its fame with the Statue of Unity.

The best time to visit Ekta Nagar is between October and February as the weather is pleasant and calm. The summer season is extremely hot and you will not have an enjoyable experience. Visitors need at least 2 to 3 days to cover the attractions at Ekta Nagar.

10 things to do at Ekta Nagar

• The ticket prices mentioned in this post are applicable for Indian nationals only. For foreign nationals check the prices online.
• For up to date information on availability, booking and prices, refer the SOU official website.
• The attractions are over everyday except for Mondays.

Visit the spectacular Statue of Unity

Visiting the Statue of Unity (SOU) must be the number one thing to do when visiting Ekta Nagar. The Statue of Unity is the world’s tallest monument with a height of 182 metres. The statue depicts India’s Iron man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

• Operational hours: Everyday, except Mondays, from 8 AM to 6 PM.
• Entry fee: There is an entrance fee of INR 1030 per adult and they can easily be purchased online on SOU website.
• Note: The visit to the SOU viewing gallery and the museum are for an extra cost.

Take a Jungle Safari

The Jungle Safari is conducted in an area that is spread over 375 acres. It has about 16 animal enclosures with herbivorous and carnivorous animals. The enclosures are classified based on the animals from each continent.

Being an animal lover, I really liked the way animals are kept in these enclosures. There are huge open spaces that are not caged and each enclosure is not crowded with too many animals. During the jungle safari, the visitors are taken in a cart driven by one of the staff members to provide the actual jungle safari experience.

• Operational hours: Everyday, except Mondays, from 8 AM to 5 PM.
• Entrance fee: INR 200 per adult and INR 150 per child. Note: For cameras, there is an extra cost. The tickets can be purchased online on SOU website.

Photograph the native and exotic birds at Birds aviaries

The Jungle Safari area includes birds aviaries. There are two aviaries housing large number of birds, native and exotic, within the area. The visitors can walk amidst the birds specific to varied habitats, which have been created simulating the natural habitat of each of the species.

What I loved about these aviaries was that the landscaping inside the aviaries are created in conjunction with the original habitat of the birds. The aviaries are open spaces and the birds are not caged even though they are covered with a dome.

• Operation hours: Everyday, except Mondays, from 8 AM to 5 PM.
• Entrance fee: Included in the Jungle Safari.

Learn about plants from all seven continents at Vishwa Van

Vishwa Van, translating to Global Garden, is a garden that is home to plants, trees and even soil from seven continents. The garden is created to portray Unity in Diversity in a global context.

• Operational hours: Everyday, except Mondays, from 8 AM to 6:45 PM.
• Entrance fee: INR 30 for an adult and INR 20 for a child and the tickets can be booked online on SOU website.

Take a sunset ride on Ekta cruise

The Ekta cruise is an amazing way to see the Statue of Unity from the waterfront. Operated by Shreshta Bharat Bhavan (SBB), the cruise ride (one way) is 7 kilometres long that takes up to 40 minutes. The ride is on the River Narmada and is perfect during the sunset. Onboard, there are cultural activities too.

• Operational hours: Available at various time slots starting from 9 AM till 5 PM.
• Entrance fee: INR 413 per adult and INR 207 per child and the slot is booked online on SOU website.

Dance at the Glow garden

The Glow garden is at the Valley of Flowers. It is a garden and theme park where the structures and installations are illuminated at night. This was my first time at a Glow garden and it was amusing to see such beautiful structures glowing.

• Operational hours: The Valley of Flowers is open everyday, except Mondays, from 8 AM to 10 PM. But the Glow garden is lit up only after dark.
• Entrance fee: INR 100 per adult and INR 50 per child and the tickets are booked online on SOU website.

Walk in between the flowers at Valley of Flowers

Spread over 24 acres of land, the Valley of Flowers is a great place to see beautiful and colourful flowers. In 2016, the Valley of Flowers began with just 48000 plants and today it has reached up to 2200000 plants. More than 300 types of flowers are grown in the garden.

• Operational hours: The Valley of Flowers is open everyday, except Mondays, from 8 AM to 10 PM.
• Entrance fee: INR 100 per adult and INR 50 per child and the tickets are booked online on SOU website.

Ride in a pink electric vehicle

The pink electric vehicles were one of my most favourite parts of the town. The pink electric vehicles are a way to commute within Ekta Nagar and the best part is that these vehicles are run only by women. Local tribal women are employed, trained and upskilled to earn their living.

• The prices are fixed based on the distance of commute and these are already pre-fixed by the government.

Shop at Ekta mall

Ekta Mall is a shopping centre within Ekta Nagar. The shopping mall has stores representing each state of India and these stores sell local products made in their respective state. It is a great place where everything comes together and has been created to promote Indian handicraft products.

• Operational hours: Everyday from 10 AM to 8 PM.

Attend the Narmada-Maha aarti at Narmada Ghat

We have all heard of Ganga Aarti and some of us have witnessed that spectacular aarti in Varanasi or Rishikesh ghats as well. But did you know that there is a Narmada-Maha aarti that happens every evening on the Narmada Ghat worshiping River Narmada and it is definitely a must do in Ekta Nagar? The Hindu priest performs the aarti and is on the lines of the Ganga aarti performed at the Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi. I was so blessed to see this amazing aarti on my travel in Ekta Nagar.

• The aarti starts after 7:30 PM and lasts for about 30 to 45 minutes.
• Ticket: Aarti does not require an entrance fee. The ticket needs to be purchased only for Yajman (priest to perform a ritual) if required and it costs INR 1100.

How to get to Ekta Nagar?

Ekta Nagar is easily accessible by road and public transport.

• Airport – The nearest airport is at Vadodara. Vadodara international airport operate both international and domestic flights. And the airport is around 90 kilometres from Ekta Nagar.
• Train – Ekta Nagar railway station, formerly known as Kevadia railway station, consists of 3 platforms and is connected with other major cities and towns. Up to date information on availability and routes can be found on IRCTC website.
• Bus – There are frequent buses between Vadodara and Ekta Nagar. The buses are operated by Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) and private bus operators.
• Drive – Vadodara is around 90 kilometres from Ekta Nagar and the journey by road takes about 1 hour 40 minutes.

Stay at Ekta Nagar

Tent City 1

Tent City 1 provides luxury with comfort. With amazing views of River Narmada on one side and Vindyachal and Satpuda mountain ranges on the other, this stay is surely one of the best in Ekta Nagar. The rooms are built like cottages and they have a variety of options including a presidential and royal villas.

Tent City Narmada

The economical stay option in Ekta Nagar is the Tent City Narmada. I stayed at the Tent City Narmada for a couple of nights and it surely was a comfortable stay. The rooms are built like cottages that provide amazing glamping experience.

Safety for solo female travelers

I found Ekta Nagar to be very safe for solo female travelers. I did not have any issue as such and everyone I interacted were friendly and nice. However, like any other place in the world, be careful, especially at night.

Note: I did not travel to Ekta Nagar solo. I was part of the bloggers and social media influencers travel that was organised and hosted by Gujarat Tourism.

Closing Notes

Ekta Nagar is surely one of the beautiful places to visit in Gujarat. It is a package that has plenty of things to do and caters for all kinds of travelers. I highly recommend adding this town to your travel list when visiting Gujarat.

Have you been to Ekta Nagar? How many of these things have you done? Let me know in the comments below.

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