Work on another grand religious project started in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh as Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan performed the ‘shila pujan’ (ritual of foundation stone laying) for ‘Devi Lok’ at Salkanpur in Sehore on Wednesday.
The Salkanpur temple is a highly venerated Hindu religious place in Madhya Pradesh, where Vindhyavasini Beejasan Mata—a form of goddess Durga—is the presiding deity.
On Tuesday, the chief minister laid the foundation stone for another project, called ‘Bhagavan Parshuram Lok’, at Janapav in Indore district. Janapav is the birth place of Lord Parshuram, who is especially revered by the Brahmin community. Devi Lok and Parashuram Lok are among seven such projects announced by the BJP government in the state on the lines of Mahakal Lok at Ujjain.
The Devi Lok project at Salkanpur project will be developed at the cost of Rs 211 crore. Speaking on the occasion, Chouhan said along with undertaking development works, it was also the responsibility of the government to promote religion and culture, which connect people.
A state government note said about one lakh devotees witnessed the ceremony at Salkanpur, with monks, seers and priests from all over the country in attendance.
The chief minister said with the blessings of Mata, the ‘Devi Lok’ project is being undertaken by the government.
It is also due to the goddess’s blessings that the government decided to enact a law for rapists and award them death penalty and initiated the ambitious Ladli Bahna Yojana (cash assistance scheme of Rs 1000 per month) aimed at upholding honour of women and to meet their small requirements, he said.
Chouhan said dignity and honour of the women was topmost priority of the government, and added that many schemes, including Ladli Laxmi (support programme for girl children) and Mukhya Mantri Kanya Vivah (marriage ceremony support for women), have been implemented for women empowerment.
Giving details of the Devi Lok project, Chouhan said along with the temple structures, replicas of 64 yogini, nine forms of Navdurga, Devi Mahatmya, Durga Saptashati and various Shaktipeeths and religious verses will be engraved on the Devi Lok premises at a cost of Rs 166 crore. Also, construction of public utilities will be undertaken at the foothill of the hill on where the temple is located at a cost of Rs 45 crore for the convenience of the devotees. Vidisha Member of Parliament (MP) Ramakant Bhargava also spoke on the occasion.
The offered puja to water, holy soil from all the Shaktipeeths (Hindu devotional power centres) of the country along with the shilas (construction blocks/stones) brought in by devotees from various villages in the state. All these materials will be used in the construction of the Devi Lok.
Earlier, Chouhan visited the Devi Lok exhibition in Salkanpur and looked at the model of the temple complex. He also participated in the ‘rath yatra’ (chariot procession) of the goddess, accompanied by his wife Sadhna Singh Chouhan.