Amidst the unprecedented fanfare, rigorous security checks and the chants of ‘Jai Mahakal’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday evoked India’s ‘vishwaguru’ status and said that the time is not far when India will lead the world in both spiritual and material aspects.
Inaugurating the first phase of Rs 856 crores’ Mahakal Lok, the corridor towards the Mahakaleshwar temple in the ancient city of Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, Modi referred to the early glory of Ujjain and how it had led India to prosperity.
Ujjain, a 5000-year-old city and believed to have never seen destruction due to the presence of Mahakal, was once the capital of Avanti Mahapada and hence also known as Avantika. The ancient city is believed to bear the glory of great king Vikramaditya, who as per the legends, ruled in the bank of Shipra.
After performing puja in Mahakal temple and inaugurating the grand Nandi gateways, the Prime Minister addressed the audience in the Kartik Mela ground, around a km away from the main temple complex.
“There is nothing material in Mahakal Lok, everything is spiritual,” Modi started his address evoking the ‘spiritual and cultural consciousness of Ujjain.’ Echoing his earlier promises of taking science and faith together, Modi said that India is not only moving forward in science through different space projects and leading scientific endeavours, it is leading the world in spiritual emancipation also.
Referring to the slavery of thousand of years that shackled India’s progress, the Prime Minister said: “During the Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal, we broke the shackles of colonialism. Today, cultural destinations across India are seeing all-around development. For the first time, Char Dhams are being connected with all-weather roads.”
Notably, Mahakal Corridor came into shape just within a year after the grand opening of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple corridor, a pet project of the Prime Minister in his home constituency of Varanasi.
“India has called for 'Panch Pran' like freedom from the mentality of slavery and pride in its heritage during Amrit Mahotsav. Therefore, the construction of the grand Shri Ram temple in Ayodhya is being carried out at full speed. Vishwanath Dham in Kashi has increased pride in India's culture,” added the Prime Minister.
He also attributed the revival of ancient glory to the different developmental projects taken by his government in the temple cities of Kedarnath, Badrinath and Somnath.
Taking a jibe at the invaders of different periods, who allegedly destroyed the ancient cities, Modi said, “invaders like Iltutmish tried to destroy the energy of Ujjain, but our sages have said that even death cannot harm under the shelter of lord Mahakal. So India was revived from its centres of faith.”
Known as a devotee of Lord Shiva, Modi chanted several slokas. In front of thousands of cheering audience, who came from different parts of the country to have ‘darshan’ of lord Mahakal, he said, “Ujjaini had been one of the top research centres of the country in the field of astronomy. And when India is celebrating its ancient values, it is taking along the science and faith.”
Before attending the rally, the Prime Minister took the blessings of hundreds of saints from across the country who gathered in the programme to witness the grandeur of Mahakal.
The 900-meter corridor in the bank of Rudra Sagar was decked up in lights and flavours. In a battery car, the Prime Minister covered the whole area and observed the 108 pillars built meticulously along with the 200 murals and sculptures that describe different mythological snippets from Shaivite tradition.
Modi was also accompanied by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and the Governors of Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chattishgarh. Chauhan, who earlier in the day visited the temple and worshipped lord Ganesha before inviting the world to witness the celebration, attributed the credits of the project to Prime Minister Modi. “In 2016, when the Prime Minister came to Mahakal, he told me something more needs to be done. It was by his inspiration and support, it became a reality,” said Chauhan.
