Bhubaneswar (Special Correspondent, The Fact Bureau): In a significant gathering at the Lord Lingaraj Temple in Ekamra Kshetra, Bhubaneswar, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi participated in the ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parba,’ marking the 75th anniversary of the restoration of the Somnath Temple.
The event celebrated the deep spiritual link between the Somnath Temple in the West and the Lingaraj Temple in the East.
A Spiritual Connection
During the ceremony, the Chief Minister watched a live broadcast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the grand celebrations from Prabhas Patan, Gujarat.
Describing the two shrines as pillars of national strength, the Chief Minister said that if Somnath is the guardian of the West, Lingaraj is the invincible power of the East.
Cultural Renaissance and Heritage
The Chief Minister reflected on the historical struggle of the Somnath Temple, noting that despite repeated attempts by invaders to destroy it, the shrine was reborn each time through the unwavering faith of the people. He credited “Iron Man” Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for the temple’s reconstruction in 1951 and praised Prime Minister Modi for continuing this legacy of cultural revival.
Under the Prime Minister’s guiding principle of ‘Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi’ (Development as well as Heritage), the Chief Minister highlighted how India is reclaiming its identity, from the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and the Ayodhya Ram Temple to the preservation of Odisha’s own ancient sites.
Strategic Vision for Odisha
To establish Odisha as the cultural capital of India, the Chief Minister outlined several key commitments:
Infrastructure Investment: An allocation of Rs 330 crore for the comprehensive development of Ekamra Kshetra.
Preservation: The establishment of the Shri Jagannath Museum with a budget of Rs 1,000 crore.
Economic Growth: A focus on the ‘Orange Economy’ (culture-based economy) to generate local employment through tourism.
The event was also attended by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, who described the Somnath Temple as a beacon of self-respect.
Other notable attendees included Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, Ekamra MLA Babu Singh, and senior administrative officials.
Closing the event, Chief Minister Majhi called upon the 4.5 crore people of Odisha to draw inspiration from the courage of Sardar Patel and the vision of the Prime Minister to work toward a “prosperous Odisha” and a “developed India.”
