The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid foundation stones and dedicated to the Nation various development projects in Kedarnath. He inaugurated Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi and unveiled the statue of Adi Shankaracharya. He also reviewed and inspected the executed and ongoing infrastructure works. The Prime Minister also offered prayers at the Kedarnath Temple. Prayers were offered and celebrations held at 12 Jyotirlingas and 4 dhams and many places of faith all over the country along with the event at Kedarnath Dham, all events were linked to the main event at Kedarnath Dham.
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Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER visited the Adi Shankaracharya temple at Kalady, Kerala today and participated virtually in the Prime Minister’s programme at Kedarnath that included the unveiling of Adi Shankaracharya statue. Kalady is the birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya.
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Before the inauguration of various projects by the Prime Minister, the Union Minister addressed the gathering at Kalady and spoke about the contributions of Adi Shankaracharya.
Union Minister said Adishankara’s core teachings of Advaita promote inclusiveness, equality, the pursuit of knowledge and an enabling environment of debate, discussion and deliberation
Adi Shankara was one of India’s earliest social reformers to fight caste discrimination.
He further added that a culture of learning and healthy discussions in our society, that the Shankaracharya advanced, especially among our youth, will set the template for India at 100 in 2047 and enable the country to become a Vishwaguru.
The Union Minister also stated that the Shankaracharya was inspired from his real life experiences, and his encounters with individuals such as Chandala. These inspired Shankaracharya to the spirit of equality and oneness making him one of the earliest social reformers who fought caste discrimination, the Minister explained.
The Union minister stated “The Jagadguru brought different practices of Hinduism together under a single roof and established 4 Peethas as spiritual capitals in the four corners of India . The 12 Jyotirlingas that include Kedarnath are testament to the wide reach of Sankaracharya’s teachings”.
He said that the Prime Minister has always worked hard to make our heritage and culture accessible to all Indians. The inauguration of key infrastructure projects at Kedarnath not only improve access to the pilgrims but also provide protection from the forces of nature. Some of the works that were completed include the Saraswati Retaining Wall, Mandakini Retaining wall, and the construction of the Garud Chatti bridge on the river Mandakini.
Several programs that involve people’s participation are being organised as a part of our 75th year of Independence under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahostav, Adi Shankaracharya’s unparalleled wisdom and rich thoughts have left an indelible mark on our society.
After the event, the Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER also reviewed the various offices under the Ministries of Tourism and Culture. This included the Thrissur Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Kerala, the South Zone Cultural Centre (SZCC), the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), Thrissur and the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Tourism. Members of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) under the Government of Kerala were also present.
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In the evening, the Union Minister took part in a cultural programme that included the recitation of several popular compositions of Adi Shankaracharya by members and students of the Department of Music, Sri Shankaracharya Sanskrit University, Kalady.
Programs were organized simultaneously at 11 Jyotirlingas , 4 Jyotishpeeth and Char Dhams(Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameshwaram) also.The programmes included the customary morning Aarti followed by Vedic chanting . Ministry of Culture organized cultural events at either premises of Jyotirlingas /Jyotishpeeth or nearby venue.
Some glimpses from the cultural programme at Puri :
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