MP: CM Shivraj Chouhan Unveils 108-feet Tall Statue of Adi Shankaracharya | Details Here – News18

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday unveiled a grand statue of Hindu saint Adi Shankaracharya in Omkareshwar, a temple town which houses one of the 12 Jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva.

The 108-ft-tall statue dedicated to the 8th-century philosopher, an influential and revered figure in Hinduism, has been named “Ekatmata Ki Pratima” (Statue of Oneness).

“My repeated salutations at the feet of Adi Guru Shankaracharya ji and heartfelt thanks to all of you for attending this grand event. Salute at the feet of Jagadguru. Offering darshan of Advaita Vedanta, the 108 feet tall grand statue of Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya ji, filled with auspiciousness, auspiciousness and auspiciousness,” CM Chouhan said.

The CM on Wednesday said earlier that though Adi Shankaracharya was born in present-day Kerala, he attained enlightenment at Omkareshwar while travelling through forests and mountains. After gaining knowledge at the temple town in present-day Khandwa district, the 8th-century philosopher travelled to Kashi, he added.

Who is Adi Shankaracharya?

Born in present-day Kerala, Adi Shankaracharya is believed to have reached Omkareshwar after becoming a ‘sanyasi’ (monk) at a very young age, where he met his guru Govind Bhagwadpad and stayed in the religious city for four years and attained education.

According to religious beliefs, he left Omkareshwar at the age of 12 and travelled across the country spreading the Advaita Vedanta philosophy and explaining its tenets to people.

Statue of Oneness

The towering structure is perched atop the picturesque Mandhata hill on the banks of the Narmada river in Omkareshwar in Khandwa district.

“This extraordinary structure, conceptualized to honour the life and philosophy of Adi Shankaracharya, is a tribute to the great saint’s masterpiece of commentary on ‘Bharmasutrabhasya’ (comment on Brahma Sutra), a fundamental text of the Vedanta school of Hinduism and the concept of Oneness that he preached,” CP Kukreja Architects’ managing principal Dikshu Kukreja, who is the brain behind the project, said.

The construction of the statue on the Mandhata mountain in the temple town is part of the first phase of the Ekatma Dham project. The project includes the development of the Advaita Lok museum, showcasing the life and philosophy of Acharya Shankar (Adi Shankaracharya) through exhibits reflecting the message of Advaita Vedanta.

The Acharya Shankar International Institute of Advaita Vedanta, which will serve as coordination, research and resource centre for the study and promotion of Advaita Vedanta is also envisioned as part of the multi-phase project.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Madhya Pradesh had earlier given its approval for a Rs 2,141.85-crore project under which the statue of Adi Shankaracharya was to be built along with a museum in Omkareshwar.

(With inputs from PTI, IANS)