Amit Shah joins Mahashivratri event at Isha Foundation, Sadhguru compares him to Sardar Patel

Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday attended the Mahashivratri celebration with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev at the Isha Foundation in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore.

The event drew hundreds of attendees, who Amit Shah addressed before witnessing a stunning 3D-light show of the gigantic Adiyogi statue there. He was even compared to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first home minister of the country, by Sadhguru.

Speaking on the occasion, Amit Shah thanked Sadhguru for the invitation and called Mahashivratri an occasion of ‘self-awakening’.

"I extend my wishes on the occasion of Mahashivratri. I am very grateful that I got the opportunity to come here at the invitation of Sadhguru. Today, the whole nation, from Somnath to Kedarnath, Pashupatinath to Rameswaram and Kashi to Coimbatore, the whole nation is 'Shivmay'. The Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj is concluding but the Maha Kumbh of devotion is here in front of me in Coimbatore. Mahashivratri is not only a festival but an occasion of self-awakening," Shah said while addressing the gathering.

Shah called the Isha Yoga Centre not just a pilgrimage site but a place of liberation. According to him, the statue of Adiyogi identifies ‘112 ways’ of spiritual journey. He also called the centre a medium of ‘connecting youth with almighty’.

The BJP leader compared Sadhguru’s contribution in promoting yoga with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative of the International Yoga Day.

"I was associated with Save Soil campaign. You ran a campaign to protect our most valuable heritage, soil, and gave a great message to the whole world to save the environment. Sadhguru has made an effort to give a new face to Yoga through Adiyogi, and PM Narendra Modi has attracted the whole world towards Yoga by celebrating International Yoga Day," he said.

Sadhguru recalled the efforts of India's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in bringing about national unity through integration of princely states.

"Well, in every government, there are ministers, and ministers, of course. But after Independence, post-independence, there was one minister who was also the Home Minister. Without him, the nation wouldn't have consolidated. You know who I'm talking about. What Patel did at that time to unite the nation was one of the most significant acts post-independence; otherwise, we wouldn't be one country, for that matter," he said.

"Our present Home Minister has done, in some ways, what Sardar Patel did at that time by stitching and uniting the nation," Sadhguru added.

Prayagraj’s Maha Kumbh ends on Mahashivratri

The Maha Kumbh gathering in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj also saw its concluding day on Wednesday, with the final ‘shahi snan’ on the occasion of Mahashivratri.

The gathering, which began on January 13, saw a massive influx of devotees. According to the UP government, more than 65 crore devotees took the holy dip in the Triveni Sangam. While it had its share of controversies with stampedes, fires and alleged mismanagement, the gathering saw the amalgamation of different cultures under the umbrella of devotion.