Adi Guru Shankaracharya Statue: On November 5, 2021 (Friday), PM Narendra Modi offered prayers at the Shiva temple in Kedarnath and unveiled a magnificent 12-feet statue of Adi Guru Shankaracharya at the seer's reconstructed samadhi. In the 2013 floods, the seer's samadhi, which was next to the Kedarnath temple was damaged.
PM Narendra Modi in Kedarnath
He arrived in Kedarnath on November 5, 2021 (Friday) morning and offered prayers at the magnificent Shiva temple. The new statue of Adi Guru Shankaracharya has been installed just behind the Kedarnath temple. PM Narendra Modi sat in meditation for a while at the foot of the statue.
During his visit, he also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of reconstruction projects at the Himalayan temple worth over Rs 400 crore.
PM Narendra Modi said "the destruction this place [Kedarnath] witnessed years ago was unimaginable. People who visited this place wondered if our Kedar Dham would be restored."
He added that "the voice within me said that it will be redeveloped with renewed glory."
He also said that "there was a time when spirituality and religion were linked to only stereotypes. However, the Indian philosophy speaks of human welfare and having a holistic, whole outlook on life." Further adding that Adi Shankaracharya worked to acquaint the society with this truth.
The meaning of Shankar in Sanskrit is “शं करोति सः शंकरः” i.e. one who does welfare, is Shankar.
— PIB India (@PIB_India) November 5, 2021
Acharya Shankar followed this mantra and led an extraordinary life which he devoted to welfare of the common man: PM @narendramodi #PMAtKedarnath pic.twitter.com/y7huBfNOWN
Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi inaugurates a 12-feet tall statue of Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya, one of the most revered Hindu Gurus.
— G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) November 5, 2021
Hon’ble Prime Minister also meditated at this Holy Shrine of Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand. #PMAtKedarnath pic.twitter.com/FipBjS00sq
Facts about the statue of Adi Guru Shankaracharya
- As per the Tourism department the statue of Adi Guru Shankaracharya has been made by a Mysore-based sculptor using chlorite schist which is a rock known to withstand rain, sunshine, and harsh climate.
- Yogiraj Shilpi with the help of his son finished the work of the statue. The work commenced in September 2020 and around 120 tonnes of stone were procured for the carving of the statue.
- The polishing of the statue was done with coconut water to bring out its shine.
- The statue of Adi Guru Shankaracharya has been shown in a sitting position and weighs around 35 tonnes.
- The Adi Guru Shankaracharya statue was sculpted at Mysuru in Karnataka and was flown to Kedarnath onboard a Chinook helicopter.
- As per reports out of around 18 models of the statue, PM Narendra Modi selected one and gave his nod.
About Adi Shankaracharya
He was born into a pious Nambudiri Brahman family in a village called Kaladi on the Periyar (Purna) river, Kerala.
He was an Indian philosopher and theologian who expounded the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta. At a very young age, he renounced worldly pleasures. He amalgamated the ideologies of the ancient 'Advaita Vedanta' and explained the basic ideas of Upanishads.
The oldest concept of Hinduism was advocated by him which explains the unification of the soul (atman) with the Supreme Soul (Nirguna Brahman).
However, he is best known for popularising 'Advaita Vedanta' but one of his most important works is his efforts to synthesize the six sub-sects, known as "Shanmata'.
Literally, ‘Shanmata’ translates to ‘six religions,’ which is the worship of six supreme deities.
He explained the existence of one supreme being (Brahman) and the six supreme deities are part of one divine power.
He also founded 'Dashanami Sampradaya' in which he talks about leading a monastic life. He was a firm believer in ancient Hinduism and condemned the 'Mimamsa school of Hinduism' which was purely based on ritual practices. It is believed that Shankara died at Kedarnath in the Himalayas.
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