‘India now aims high’: PM Modi after inaugurating 12-foot Shankaracharya statue at Kedarnath
PM Modi said that there was a time in the country when religion and spirituality were believed to be related “only with stereotypes” but Indian philosophy sees life in a “holistic manner” and talks about human welfare
While inaugurating the 12-foot statue of Guru Shankaracharya at the Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India now “aims high” and also “sets a time limit to achieve these aims.”
“A grand Ram Temple is being constructed in Ayodhya. Recently, deepotsav was celebrated there. Work on the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project in Varanasi is also progressing rapidly… Now, the country aims high and also sets a time limit to achieve these aims,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
He added that there was a time in the country when religion and spirituality were believed to be connected “only with stereotypes,” but Indian philosophy mentions human welfare and views life in a “holistic manner.” “Adi Shankaracharya worked to make the society aware of this truth,” he added while speaking at the inauguration event.
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Notably, the 12-foot status was washed away in 2013 following the flood that had wreaked havoc in the state. In reference to rebuilding it, PM Modi said people used to think that Kedarnath could never be developed again but a “voice” within him said that it will be redeveloped and “will be more majestic than before.”
Dhami said the Shankaracharya statue has been made by a Mysore-based sculptor using chlorite schist – a rock popular for withstanding rain, sunshine and harsh weather. It has been constructed by digging land behind the Kedarnath Temple and in the middle of the samadhi area.
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The Prime Minister reached the northern hill state on Friday morning and was received by Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Governor Lt Gen (retd) Gurmit Singh and other state officials at the Dehradun airport. PM Modi later visited the Kedarnath Temple on an Indian Air Force chopper, did aarti inside the shrine and undertook circumambulation.
Along with inaugurating the Guru Shankaracharya status, PM Modi also launched various projects, including the Saraswati Retaining Wall, Tirith Purohit Houses, Garud Chatti Bridge over the River Mandakini, among others, worth ₹130 crore.
