Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has greeted the people of the state on the birth anniversary of Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya.
The birth anniversary of Shankaracharya is being
celebrated as Ekatma Parv in the state. A state level function is being held at Kushabhau Thackeray Auditorium in Bhopal. For this, the Acharya Shankar Sanskritik Ekta Nyas has completed the necessary preparations.
The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to establish Acharya Shankar International Advaita Vedanta Sansthan on the banks of Narmada at Omkareshwar in Khandwa district. Along with this, a
grand and huge 108 feet high multi metal statue of Adi Shankaracharya will be installed here.
This statue will be called the Statue of Oneness. Madhya Pradesh government has recently sanctioned an amount of Rs 148 crore 43 lakh 2 thousand for the statue and pedestal work of Acharya Shankar in Omkareshwar.
The work of Advaita Vedanta Sansthan is ready to be completed in different phases. Tourists and devotees from many countries of the world will come to Omkareshwar and this institution will emerge as an important center.
Chouhan is of the opinion that Acharya Shankar International Advaita Vedanta Sansthan while introducing you to the entire life philosophy of Acharya Shankar, will emerge as a global centre of Vasudaiv Kutumbakam and welfare of the world besides character building of the future generation, environmental conservation and socio-cultural change. Advaita Vedanta is the basis for the elimination of various differences of opinion, animosity and friction. The establishment of the statue of Adi Shankaracharya in Omkareshwar will be a wonder for the country and the world.
Surely the completion of this project will pave a new and all-acceptable way for the welfare and harmony of humanity.
It may be noted that Chouhan had said in the meeting of the Board of Trustees of Acharya Shankar Sanskritik Nyas in Mantralaya on January 8, 2022 in Bhopal that the establishment of the Statue of Oneness is not just a task of establishing a statue, but it is a project of how to adopt Vedanta practically in life.
In this meeting the members of the trust who took part were Swami Avdheshanand Giri, Swami Paramatmanand Saraswati, Swami Chidanandpuri, Swami Haribramendranand, Mukul Kanitkar, Swami Mitranand ji, VR Gaurishankar and Swami Vedatvananda etc.
Swami Swaroopanand ji of Chinmaya from Australia and Nivedita didi from Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumari Tamil Nadu took part virtually. Many participants have considered the Omkareshwar project as an important leadership initiative of Chief Minister Chouhan.
After this meeting of the trust, the work-processes related to Omkareshwar project have gained
momentum. The installation of the statue of Acharya Shankar was first announced on 9 February, 2017
during the Narmada Seva Yatra. After this, Prakatya Panchami festival was celebrated on May 1, 2017.
After that, from 19th December 2017 to 22nd January 2018, the Ekatma Yatra and metal collection
campaign was also conducted. The citizens of Madhya Pradesh are also eager to complete this project. In
this connection, the trust has also organized Shankar lecture series, Prerna Samvad, painting workshop,
exhibition, Shankar Sangeet, Natak and Advaita Utsav. Along with this, there have also been
programmes of Shankar Fellowship, Advaita Jagran Camp and seminar.