A Rs 125-crore ISKCON temple will be built at Kosmada in Surat district, with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel laying its foundation stone on Sunday, IANS reported. The temple is the ISKCON Varachha temple project. Patel performed rituals to worship the foundation stones and offered oblations at a Narsingh Yagna during the ceremony, and a felicitation programme was held to honour donors who have contributed towards the proposed temple.
Source: IANS via Hi India
Addressing the gathering in the presence of Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani, Health Minister Praful Pansheriya and Rajya Sabha MP Govind Dholakia, Patel called for religious institutions to combine spiritual teachings with human service and nation-building, ANI reported. He said the project reflected the need to preserve India's cultural and spiritual heritage alongside development, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Virasat Bhi, Vikas Bhi' (heritage as well as development).
Source: ANI via Daily Prabhat
Patel referred to efforts to preserve and revitalise the country's religious heritage, including the construction of the Ram Temple, and said the opportunity to contribute to a spiritual cause was a matter of good fortune. 'Such initiatives could promote harmony in society,' he added, according to the reports.
Source: IANS via NewKerala
Highlighting the relevance of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, the Chief Minister said its 18 chapters offered guidance for navigating the dilemmas and challenges of everyday life. 'From Arjuna Vishada Yoga, the first chapter, to Moksha Sanyasa Yoga, the final chapter, the scripture guides people from confusion towards understanding, despair towards self-confidence, and inaction towards a sense of duty,' he said.