Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday invoked the great “rishi tradition” of India as he inaugurated several development works in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand, including the unveiling of a statue of Adi Shankaracharya and monuments related his samadhi.
Significantly, Uttarakhand will be going the polls in early 2022.
Mr. Modi emphasised the Government’s work in reviving the cultural centres, including the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya and the building of a better ropeway to access the Hemkund Sahib gurdwara in the State.
He was addressed a meeting after offering prayers at the shrine and unveiling the Adi Shankaracharya statue.
Recalling the devastating floods in Kedarnath in 2013 that caused extensive damage, he stated, “people who used to come here used to say that will this, our Kedar Dham, stand up again? But my inner voice was saying that it will stand with more pride than ever before.”
The statue of Adi Shankaracharya sculpted by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj will be unveiled at the samadi of the saint at Kedarnath on November 5.
Talking about Adi Shankaracharya, the Prime Minister, who personally supervised the plans for the restoration of his samadhi and building of the statue, said, “Shan Karoti saha Shankar” that, is the one who does welfare is Shankar. “There was a time when spirituality and religion started getting linked with stereotypes and outdated practices. Whereas, Indian philosophy talks about human welfare and looks at life in a holistic way. Adi Shankaracharya did the work of making society aware of this truth,” he noted.
‘Ayodhya getting its glory back’
“A grand temple of Lord Shri Ram is coming up in Ayodhya. Ayodhya is getting its glory back. Just two days ago, the whole world saw the grand celebrations of ‘deepotsav’ in Ayodhya. Today we can imagine how the ancient cultural form of India must have been,” he observed and asserted that today’s India was confident of its heritage.
In fact, the theme of reviving cultural and religious centres was echoed by BJP chief J.P. Nadda and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. “With the visit to the Kedarnath temple, Prime Minister Modi has performed a ‘mahayagya’ to re-establish the traditions of ‘Sanatan Dharma’,” remarked Mr. Chouhan, while Mr. Nadda pointed out that Adi Shankaracharya did much to revive and re-establish ‘Sanatana Dharma’ and the Government under Mr. Modi was conscious of it.
Mr. Modi reviewed projects worth ₹ 130 crore that had been completed so far ,including the Saraswati Ashtapath, Tirth purohit houses and the Garud Chatti bridge over the Mandakini river. He also laid the foundation stone for projects worth ₹ 180 crore, including the redevelopment of the Sangam Ghat, and a hospital and administrative offices for those managing the Kedarnath shrine.
