Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unveiled a 77-feet-tall bronze statue of Lord Rama at the Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Math in Canacona, South Goa. The ceremony marked the beginning of the Sardha Panchashatamanotsava, the 550th-year celebration of the Math.
PM Modi also inaugurated the Ramayana Theme Park developed by the Math and released a special postal stamp along with a commemorative coin.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi held a roadshow in Udupi, Karnataka, after participating in the Laksha Kantha Gita Parayana programme at the Sri Krishna Matha. He inaugurated the Suvarna Teertha Mantapa located in front of the Krishna sanctum and dedicated the Kanaka Kavacha (golden cover) for the sacred Kanakana Kindi, a window associated with the divine vision of saint Kanakadasa.
Addressing the gathering in Udupi, the Prime Minister Modi recited shlokas from the Bhagwat Gita along with more than one lakh participants, including students, monks and scholars. He described Udupi as an important centre in the historical journey of the Jana Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party, and recalled the work of former Karnataka MLA V. S. Acharya.
During his remarks, PM Modi linked the governance practices in Udupi to the early adoption of cleanliness initiatives and water and drainage systems several decades ago. He said the collective recitation of shlokas by one lakh people demonstrated India’s spiritual tradition and social unity.
The Prime Minister also drew a connection between Udupi and Dwarka in Gujarat, acknowledging Jagadguru Madhwaachaarya, the founder of the Math.
-ANI