New Delhi || 13-12-2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated and launched multiple development projects worth around Rs 5500 crore at Prayagraj,Uttar Pradesh. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister bowed in devotion to Prayagraj, the auspicious land of Sangam, and paid his respects to the saints and sadhus attending the Mahakumbh.
PM Modi expressed gratitude towards the employees, shramiks and safai karmacharis who have made the Mahakumbh a grand success with their hard work and dedication.
Reflecting on the magnificent scale and size of the Mahakumbh, the Prime Minister said that it is one of the largest gatherings in the world where lakhs of devotees are welcomed daily for the Mahayajna lasting 45 days and a whole new city is set up for the occasion. “A new history is being written on the land of Prayagraj”, the Prime Minister exclaimed.
The Prime Minister underlined that the organization of Mahakumbh next year would take the spiritual and cultural identity of the nation to new peaks and said that such a ‘MahaYagya’ of unity would be discussed around the world. He conveyed his best wishes to the people for a successful organization of the Mahakumbh.
“India is a land of sacred sites and pilgrimages”, exclaimed Modi. He added it was a land of rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Kaveri, Narmada and many other innumerable rivers. Describing Prayag as the confluence, collection, congregation, combination, influence and a power of the sacred flow of these rivers, the importance of many pilgrimage sites and their greatness, the Prime Minister said that Prayag was not just a confluence of three rivers, but more than that.
Explaining the importance, he remarked that it has been told about Prayag that it is a pious time when the sun enters the house of Makar, then all the divine powers, nectar, sages and saints descend down to Prayag. He added that Prayag was one such place without which the Puranas would be left incomplete. He further noted that Prayag was one such place which was praised in the verses of the Vedas.
“Prayag is a place where there are holy places and virtuous areas at every step”, exclaimed Modi. Throwing light on the cultural and spiritual significance of Prayagraj, the Prime Minister recited a Sanskrit shloka and explained, “The effect of the Triveni, the glory of Venimadhav, the blessings of Someshwar, the land of penance of Rishi Bhardwaj, the special place of Lord Nagaraj Vasu ji, the immortality of Akshayvat and the grace of God – This is what makes our Teertharaj Prayag.”
He further explained that Prayagraj is a place where all four elements of ‘Dharma’, ‘Arth’, ‘Kama’ and ‘Moksha’ are available. “Prayagraj is not just a geographical piece of land, it is a place to experience spirituality”, the Prime Minister said, expressing gratitude towards the citizens for getting to visit Prayagraj.
He recalled taking a holy dip in the Sangam during the last Kumbh and also mentioned getting the opportunity today. Speaking about his darshan and pooja earlier in the day at Hanuman Mandir and Akshayvat, the Prime Minister informed about the development of Hanuman Corridor and Akshayvat Corridor for easy access by devotees and also mentioned inquiring about the redevelopment project of Saraswati Koop.
“Maha Kumbh is a living identity representing our legacy of the divine festival of our faith, spirituality and culture”, exclaimed Modi. He added that every time, the mega event symbolises the divine gathering of religion, knowledge, devotion and art. Reciting a sanskrit shloka, the Prime Minister explained that a holy dip in the sangam is equivalent to visiting crores of pilgrimage places. He added that an individual taking a holy dip is rid of all his sins.
The Prime Minister remarked that this eternal flow of faith has never stopped despite reigns by various emperors and kingdoms or even during the despotic rule of the British and the major reason behind this was that Kumbh is not driven by any external forces.
He added that Kumbh represented the consciousness of the inner soul of man, the consciousness which comes from within and draws people from every corner of India to the banks of Sangam.
He further added that people from villages, towns, cities set out towards Prayagraj and such a power of congregation and mass gathering is rarely seen anywhere else. Shri Modi said that once an individual comes to Mahakumbh, everyone becomes one, be it saints, sages, wise men, or common people and the difference of caste and sects ends.
He added that crores of people get connected with one goal and one idea. The Prime Minister remarked that this time during the Maha Kumbh, crores of people from different states with different languages, castes, beliefs would gather at Sangam and be in unison. He added that this was his belief why Maha Kumbh was the MahaYagya of unity, where every kind of discrimination is sacrificed and every Indian who takes a dip in the confluence here represented a beautiful picture of Ek Bharat, Shreshta Bharat.
PM Modi emphasized the significance of Kumbh in India’s cultural and spiritual tradition, highlighting how it has always been a platform for deep discussions among saints on critical national issues and challenges.
He said that when modern communication channels did not exist in the past, Kumbh became a foundation for significant social changes where saints and scholars gathered to discuss the nation’s welfare and deliberated on both present and future challenges, thereby providing new direction and energy to the country’s thought process. Even today, the Prime Minister said, Kumbh retains its importance as a forum where such discussions continue, sending positive messages across the nation and inspiring collective thought on national welfare. Even though the names, milestones and paths of these gatherings may vary, the Prime Minister said that purpose and journey remains the same.
He underlined that the Kumbh continues to be a symbol of ongoing national discourse and a beacon for future progress.
