Hanuman ji is key thread of EK Bharat Shresth Bharat: PM Modi

Ahmedabad, Apr 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated a 108-feet tall idol of Lord Hanuman at Keshvanand Ashram in Gujarat's Morbi town on Saturday at 11 am.

This is a second idol of the deity installed by the Shree Harish Chander Nanda Education and Charitable Trust, it said in a release.

Greeting the devotees on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, the Prime Minister said that the dedication of the 108 ft statue of Hanuman ji in Morbi is a happy occasion for the devotees of Hanuman ji all over the world. He expressed his deeply felt happiness on getting to be amidst devotees and spiritual leaders several times in the recent times. He mentioned the opportunities to be associated with Uniya Maa, Mata Amba Ji and Annapurna ji Dham in quick succession recently. He called this 'Hari Kripa', god's grace.

The Prime Minister said that the project of establishing four such statues in the four corners of the country is a reflection of the resolve of 'Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat'. He explained that Hanuman ji unites everyone with his service spirit and everyone gets inspiration from him. Hanuman ji is that symbol of strength that got forest-dwelling communities dignity and empowerment. "Hanuman ji is a key thread of EK Bharat Shresth Bharat", he added.

Similarly, the Prime Minister elaborated, Ram Katha, that is organized all over the country in various localities and languages, binds everyone as one in devotion to the god. This, Shri Modi stressed, is the strength of our spiritual heritage, culture and tradition that kept separate parts united even during the difficult period of slavery. This strengthened the unified efforts of national pledge for independence. "In the face of the vicissitudes of thousands of years, our civilization and culture has played a big role in keeping India steadfast", The Prime Minister pointed out.

The Prime Minister said, "Our faith and the stream of our culture is of harmony, equality and inclusion". This is best reflected in the fact that Lord Ram, despite being fully capable, harnessed everyone's strength to complete his tasks. "Ram Katha is the best example of SabkaSaath-SabkaPrayas and Hanuman ji is a key part of this", Modi said invoking the same spirit of SabkaPrayas for the fulfilment of resolve.

Speaking in Gujarati, the Prime Minister remembered Keshvanand Bapu and his old connect with Morbi. He recalled the role of the Hanuman Dham in the wake of Machhu Dam accident. He said lessons learnt during the accident helped during the Kutch earthquake also. He noted the resilience of Morbi as it is thriving center of industries today. The Prime Minister said if we look at brass from Jamnagar, engineering from Rajkot and clock industry of Morbi, it gives a feeling of 'mini Japan'.

The Prime Minister noted that Yatra Dham has made Kathiawar a hub of tourism. He talked about the Madhavpur Mela and Rann Utsav which provides immense benefits to Morbi.

Modi concluded by reiterating his request for enlisting the help of the devotees and Sant Samaj for the cleanliness drive and vocal for local campaign.

The statured statue that was unveiled today is the second of the 4 statues being set up in the four directions across the country, as part of #Hanumanji4dham project. It has been set up in the west, at the Ashram of Param PujyaBapuKeshvanand ji in Morbi.

The first statue of the series was set up in the north in Shimla in 2010. Work on the statue in the south at Rameswaram has been started.