PM lays foundation of Rs 100 cr Sant Ravidas memorial-cum-temple in MP’s Sagar district

bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation stone at a cost of Rs 100 crore for a temple-cum-memorial and an art museum of the mystic poet, social reformer and Dalit icon Sant Ravidas in Sagar district of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.

PM also dedicated the doubling Kota-Bina rail section worth Rs 2,500 crore to the nation and laid the foundation stone for road projects worth Rs 1,600 crore at Dhana village.

Modi performed the ‘bhoomi pujan’ and laid the foundation stone at Badtuma village. On this occasion, MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Governor Mangubhai Patel were present. The project of the temple will be constructed by the state government at the cost of Rs 100 crore. Addressing the gathering at Dhana village, PM said that Sant Ravidas was a symbol of social harmony. He removed social evils and awakened the society and by following his message, India is moving forward on the path of freedom from slavery.

The Prime Minister said Sant Ravidas Memorial will have grandeur as well as divinity which will flow from his teachings, a new era of social harmony is starting from Madhya Pradesh today.

“Being the MP of the Kashi (Benaras), the birthplace of Sant Ravidas ji, I have got an opportunity to redevelop the temple of him there. It is my fortune that I performed bhumipujan of a grand temple of him here. Sant ji will give me a chance to inaugurate the same when it will complete in the next one-and-half years,” the PM added.

Modi also culminated the ongoing ‘Samrasta Yatras’, which were started by the state government from five locations on five routes covering 50 districts of the state with the aim of creating awareness.

The Yatras collected soil and water from 20,000 villages and 300 rivers for the construction of the temple. “These Yatras will not end here, a new era will start from here,” he also said.

“Sant ji was born at a time when the Mughal dynasty was ruling and the country was tackling exploitation, atrocities and harassment, and he fought against these evils by giving a message of harmony to people,” Modi said.

He said that Saint Ravidas ji wanted that no one should go hungry in society and for all to live together above the discrimination of big and small. Inspired by this thought, we are working to free people from poverty and hunger, as in the Covid period the government has started Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for 80 crore Indians, the PM said.

The maximum benefits of poor welfare schemes are being taken by Dalits, backward and Adiwasis, the PM further said.

CM Chouhan said that we are fortunate that PM Modi came to lay the foundation stone for the grand temple. “No one is small or big, he was the one who gave the message of how to do devotion and through this temple, the generations will know about him and follow the path shown by him,” the CM said.

He said that Modi has given several welfare schemes to the country and MP is moving forward following the path shown by PM Modi. We are proud that with the blessings of him, 1.36 crore people have come out of the poverty line.

Chouhan thanked the Prime Minister has taken such decisions which will change the picture of Bundelkhand by giving the development projects worth Rs 44,000 crores, an investment of Rs 50 thousand crores will come in Bina Refinery. The CM also invited the PM to launch the Bina Refinery and Ken-Betwa projects.

On this occasion, Union Ministers Veerendra Kumar, Prahlad Patel and Jyotiraditya Scindia, and State’s Minister Bhupendra Singh, Gopal Bhargav, Govind Singh Rajput and many MPs and MLAs were present.