Construction has started on a 108-feet statue of Adi Shankaracharya in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar, one of the most revered Jyotirlinga in the country, and is likely to be completed by September when it will be unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi just ahead of Assembly elections in the state.
It is believed that Adi Shankaracharya travelled to Omkareshwar in the heart of India as a child from his birthplace Kerala and attained knowledge at the sacred place. The statue will likely reflect this stage of his life.
Checking up on the status of the project, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan travelled to the site in Omkareshwar along with his family members to welcome Swami Chidanand Saraswati of Parmarth Niketan Haridwar, Anandmurti Gurumaa along with Manoj Muntashir, Advaita Kala, Markand Paranjape and others.
Apart from the statue, named the ‘Statue of Oneness’, the project will include an Ekatma Dham. In total, the project will cost the Madhya Pradesh government more than Rs 2,000 crore, out of which the statue is worth Rs 200 crore.
While the entire project will be completed by 2026, the statue is expected to be ready by August this year.
The Ekatma Dham, to be made on Onkar Parvat, will include a state-of-the-art grand ‘Advaita Lok’ museum, which will show the life journey of Adi Shankaracharya. A public information centre, Nauka Vihar and Vedic Gurukul will also be part of the Ekatma Dham.
Once the project is complete, around 3,000 people will be able to attend laser and sound shows through the ‘Shriyantra’. A ‘Sharda Peeth’ will also be designed and materials for the same will be brought in from Kashmir. The teachings of Guru Adi Shankaracharya will also be taught here.
Larsen & Toubro, which completed the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, is working on the ‘Statue of Oneness’ as well. It has also been allotted the construction work of the Ram Temple in UP’s Ayodhya.
L&T Project Director MV Satish told News18 that 70% concrete work has been completed and the remaining will be completed at the earliest. The concrete base of the statue will be around 28 metres with heavy use of steel and bronze.
The design and architectural work has been allotted to Delhi-based firm CP Kukreja. “The project is so sacred that it has changed the way we work. I have seen the positive changes as soon as I got on board with ‘Ekatma Dham’,” said Dikshu Kukreja, chief designer of the project.
Officials say that after the Mahakaal Lok in Ujjain, the project in Omkareshwar should also be seen as a mega investment project which will yield good returns. While the project is being completed, the state government will also work to connect Ujjain, Omkareshwar and nearby cities into one spiritual tourism circuit.
As per further details, the portrait of Adi Shankaracharya has been made by renowned painter Vasudev Kamat and the sculpting has been done by accomplished sculptor Bhagwan Rampure. The entire team for the project has been named Team Shankar.
The project was first conceptualised when CM Chouhan started his Narmada Yatra. He had announced on Febraury 9, 2017 that the state government will be committed to disseminating the teachings of Shankaracharya.
Adi Shankaracharya was born in Kalady, Kerela. Leaving his family at an early age in search for wisdom and knowledge, he travelled thousands of miles covering present-day Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, before setting foot in Madhya Pradesh at Amarkantak, the origin point of river Narmada. He reached Omkareshwar after walking along the banks of Narmada for days.
Adi Shankaracharya is said to have spent four years in Omkareshwar before leaving for Kashi. The statue is said to depict this journey.
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