Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated a 77-foot bronze statue of Lord Rama at the Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Math in Goa. The ceremony formed part of the Math’s 550th anniversary celebrations, the Sardha Panchashatamanotsava. Modi also inaugurated the newly developed Ramayana Theme Park.
‘When Society Unites, the Country Leaps Forward’
Addressing the gathering after unveiling the statue, the Prime Minister said, “When the society unites, when each sector stands together, then the country makes a big leap.”
He added that India is currently experiencing a “cultural renaissance”. Referring to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Kashi Vishwanath Dham renovation, and the Mahakal Mahalok expansion in Ujjain, he said these projects reflect the country’s “renewed awareness and vigorous revival of its spiritual heritage”, as quoted by PTI.
Goa’s Cultural Resilience Highlighted
Modi said Goa has preserved and strengthened its heritage despite facing numerous challenges over the centuries. He noted that there were periods when local temples, traditions, and even language were under threat, but such pressures only reinforced the community’s cultural identity.
“This is Goa’s unique characteristic: that its culture has preserved its original form in every change and has also been revitalized with time,” he said.
The Prime Minister praised the Math for enduring more than five centuries of upheavals and continuing to serve as a symbol of cultural continuity.
“Eras changed, periods changed, many transformations occurred in the country and society, but amidst changing eras and challenges, the mutt did not lose its direction; rather, it emerged as a centre that provides direction to people, and this is its greatest identity,” Modi said, according to PTI.
Visit Follows Karnataka Meet
Earlier in the day, Modi was in Udupi, Karnataka, where he participated in the Laksha Kantha Gita Parayana, a mass recitation of the Bhagavad Gita.
