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A 108-foot statue of Adi Shankaracharya, one of the most venerated Jyotirlingas in the nation, is currently being built in Omkareshwar, Madhya Pradesh. It is expected to be finished by September when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present it right before the state's Assembly elections.
It is thought that Adi Shankaracharya moved from Kerala, where he was born, to Omkareshwar in the center of India when he was a young boy and obtained enlightenment there. This period of his life will probably be reflected in the statue.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister, visited the project site in Omkareshwar with his family to inquire about the project's status and to welcome Swami Chidanand Saraswati of Parmarth Niketan Haridwar, Anandmurti Gurumaa, Manoj Muntashir, Advaita Kala, Markand Paranjape, and others.
The project will also have an Ekatma Dham in addition to the statue, which is known as the "Statue of Oneness." The statue alone is worth Rs 200 crore, while the project as a whole would cost the Madhya Pradesh government more than Rs 2,000 crore.
The statue is anticipated to be finished by August of this year, although the overall project won't be finished until 2026.
The Ekatma Dham, which will be built on Onkar Parvat, will include a state-of-the-art, opulent "Advaita Lok" museum that will depict Adi Shankaracharya's life story. The Ekatma Dham will also have a Nauka Vihar and Vedic Gurukul as well as a public information center.
When the project is finished, the 'Shriyantra' will enable about 3,000 people to see laser and sound shows. Additionally, a "Sharda Peeth" will be created, with materials for it coming from Kashmir. Here, you will also learn about Guru Adi Shankaracharya's teachings.
The same company that built the Statue of Unity in Gujarat is also building the "Statue of Oneness." Additionally, it has been given the task of building the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
According to L&T Project Director MV Satish, 70% of the concrete work has already been finished, and the remaining 30% will be finished as soon as possible. The statue will have a 28-meter-long concrete foundation with a lot of steel and bronze.
The Delhi-based company CP Kukreja has been given the design and architectural job. The project is so sacred that it has altered how we conduct business. Dikshu Kukreja, the project's principal designer, stated, "I have noticed the positive changes ever since I joined 'Ekatma Dham'.
According to officials, the project in Omkareshwar should likewise be viewed as a massive investment project that will produce profitable results, following the Mahakaal Lok in Ujjain. The state government will seek to link Ujjain, Omkareshwar, and neighboring cities into a single spiritual tourism circuit as the project is being finished.
According to additional information, renowned painter Vasudev Kamat and talented sculptor Bhagwan Rampure each contributed to the creation of the Adi Shankaracharya image. Team Shankar is the name of the complete project team.
The idea for the initiative first emerged when CM Chouhan began his Narmada Yatra. On February 9, 2017, he stated that the state administration would be dedicated to spreading Shankaracharya's teachings.
The birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya is Kalady, Kerela. In search of wisdom and enlightenment, he left his family at a young age and wandered hundreds of kilometers across modern-day Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh before arriving in Madhya Pradesh at Amarkantak, the river Narmada's source. After days of traveling along the Narmada River's banks, he arrived in Omkareshwar.
Before moving to Kashi, Adi Shankaracharya is supposed to have spent four years in Omkareshwar. This journey is supposedly depicted in the statue.
