As Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the ‘Ayodhya Deepotsav‘ on 23 October 2022, it is a good time to remember Lord Shri Ram and the deity’s special bond with the ancient city of Ayodhya. Twitter handle Modi Archive has published a thread mentioning the details of the same.
India’s politics took a sharp religious turn after the Somnath to Ayodhya Ram Rath Yatra by Bharatiya Janata Party leader LK Advani for the justified demand for the construction of a grand Ram temple at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya. Narendra Modi was the General Secretary of Gujarat BJP at that time.
Modi was the charioteer for the Gujarat segment of this yatra. As can be seen in the old photographs, he was one of the major motivators who inspired people to come together for the noble cause of construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The souls of all those who laid down their lives during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement can rest at peace now. Construction of the Ram temple is going on in full swing. In a year or so, PM Modi will get the honour of opening it for the devotees.
Just two days earlier, PM Modi visited the hill shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath in Uttarakhand to offer his prayers. One could be forgiven for mistaking PM Modi’s back-to-back temple visits as part of an elaborate election campaign. Bu for him, the temple visits are an inherent feature of India’s cultural and religious identity — something he proudly exhibits in public.
Varanasi, the cultural capital of the country, has faced years and years of neglect and plunder. Its fortunes changed for good once Narendra Modi decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections in 2014. Despite attracting thousands of lakhs of tourists every month, Varanasi lacked infrastructure. PM Modi has not only ensured the all-round development of the city; he has been instrumental in restoring Kashi Vishwanath to its glorious past.
Prior to its restoration, one had to wade through crowded serpentine lanes to reach Kashi Vishwanath temple. PM Modi conceptualised the idea of redeveloping the temple area and connecting it with the river Ganga. According to the Skanda Purana, the gates of Kashi Vishwanath Temple face the Ganga River.
On March 8, 2019, PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor. The finest details were addressed, starting from the land acquisition and placing idols of gods and goddesses in the re-developed temple complex in accordance with their description in the Kashi Khand of Skanda Purana.
August 5, 2020; December 13, 2021, and October 11, 2022, are significant dates in the annals of the Hindu religion and its practices. With Prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the grand Mahakal Lok Corridor on Tuesday, October 11, 2021, several revered Hindu shrines have witnessed a complete makeover during his prime ministership. Ever since he took over the reins of the country, he has overseen the revival of important places of worship.
There has been a Hindu renaissance as PM Modi has lent his hand in the restoration of the places of great reverence and also correcting the historical wrongs committed during the rule of the invaders.
From integrating 51 Shaktipeeths (Maa Durga Temples) to laying the foundation stone of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya to reclaiming the pristine glory of Baba Vishwanath in accordance with Skanda Purana and creating a magnificent Mahakal corridor in Ujjain.
From rebuilding the Kedarnath Jyotirlinga site post-2013 devastation, the construction of all-weather Char Dham roads linking the four holy sites of Gangotri, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Badrinath, to the restoration of temples in Jammu and Kashmir.
Separately, the construction of a railway line parallel to the road network is also in progress to link the holy city of Rishikesh with Karnprayag. It is likely to be operational by 2025.
Prime Minister Modi also inaugurated the 946 metre long Mahakal Lok (first phase), which is almost four times bigger as compared to the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi. Situated on the banks of the holy Shipra River in Ujjain, Mahakaleshwar Temple houses one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.
Mahakal is worshipped as the ruler of Ujjain and holds significance in the Hindu religion and belief. The first phase of the corridor consists of murals and statues depicting the 25 tales of Lord Shiva as mentioned in Shiv Purana, Mahakaleshwar Vatika, Mahakaleshwar Path, Shiv Avtar Vatika, Rudrasagar Lakefront, Dharamshala Complex and Congregation Hall.
There are four entrances named Pinaki, Shankh, Nandi and Neelkanth Gates to facilitate the entry of pilgrims and those seeking the divine blessings of Lord Shiva.
In 2017, PM Modi unveiled the 112-feet-tall lord Adiyogi Shiva statue in Coimbatore and gave a clarion call to create a new yuga of togetherness and harmony through Yoga. As Gujarat CM, Modi undertook several initiatives for the beautification and face-lifting of the Somnath Temple complex. In 2021, he inaugurated the Somnath seaside promenade, an exhibition centre and reconstructed temple precinct of Old (Juna) Somnath.
From the inauguration of a temple in the United Arab Emirates to laying the foundation stone of the Shreenathji temple redevelopment in Bahrain, PM Modi has steadfastly tried to instil a sense of pride among Hindus and also connect them to their roots.
Several sites in and around Srinagar have been renovated, along with the much-revered Raghunath temple in Jammu. Apart from these, the government is working on repairing and restoring all temples and shrines in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that have faced plunder and devastation.
This is a process to heal the ruptured psyche and soul and reclaim the past glory of Hinduism. PM Modi is single handedly taking care of the process of Hindu Renaissance with complete dedication. You may believe it or not, but the way he is invoking the feeling of Hindutva in a common person, the day is not far when every Hindu will be awakened and start realizing their Dharma and Karma, which was forgotten in last many centuries.
