Shivraj Singh Chauhan unveiled 108 feet statue of Adi Shankaracharya

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled the 108 feet tall statue of Adi Shankaracharya at Omkareshwar in Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh) on 21 September 2023.

In the same ceremony, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also laid the foundation stone of Advaita Lok.

• On this occasion, Swami Avadheshanand Giri and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan.
• On this occasion, artists from Kerala danced in the traditional welcome. About 5 thousand saints, mahants and representatives were present at the venue.
• 5 thousand saints and sages have gathered in the Brahmotsav near the statue site. Here, Bhoomi Pujan was performed for Advaita Lok, and the CM laid its foundation stone. After this, aarti was performed. It will be ready by 2026.
• Adi Shankaracharya left this place at the age of 12 to propagate Vedanta. Its reflection is in this statue. For this program, saints were welcomed from Panchavadyam of Kerala, and Damru of Kashi was echoed. Artists came from every corner of the country for the program.

Features of Shankaracharya's statue:

• This statue has been prepared at a cost of approximately Rs 200 crore.
• Its weight is 108 tonnes.
• It is made up of 8 metals.
• The budget of this entire project is more than Rs 2 thousand crores.
• In this project, Advaita Lok, including the Museum, Gurukul, and Annapurna, will be built.

Adi Shankaracharya:

• Birth: May 11, 788 AD (Kaladi near Kochi, Kerala)
• Shankaracharya, a devotee of Shiva, attained Samadhi at Kedar Tirtha at the age of 33.
• Shankaracharya, an opponent of Buddhist philosophers, propounded the doctrine of monism and wrote several commentaries on the Vedic doctrine (Upanishads, Brahma Sutras and Bhagavad Gita) in Sanskrit.

Major works of Adi Shankaracharya:

• Shankaracharya is credited with reviving Hinduism in India when Buddhism gained immense popularity.

Establishment of four monasteries at the four corners of the country:

• To propagate Sanatan Dharma, Shankaracharya established four monasteries at the four corners of India at Shingeri, Puri, Dwarka and Badrinath.