Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Friday visited the Statue of Unity at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat's Narmada district and termed the 182-meter tall monument dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as an "incredible engineering feat".

"An incredible engineering feat! Very Beautiful! A great tribute to Sardar Patel. Thanks for your hospitality!" Gates wrote in the visitor's diary after taking a tour of the memorial, which is the largest such structure in the world.

He was welcomed by Statue of Unity CEO Udit Agrawal and state protocol minister Jagdish Vishwakarma.

Gates was briefed by official guides about the process of building the giant structure and materials used for its construction.

Gates also visited the SoU's viewing gallery located at a height of 135 metres, a Gujarat government release said.

He took a guided tour of a nearby garden and enjoyed a traditional Gujarati meal at a cafeteria run by local tribal women, it said.

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