Pune: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking forward Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s task to restore the temples destroyed by the Mughals and other foreign invaders, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Sunday, as he lauded the Maratha king for “revolting against the atrocities” and fighting for “swaraj” (self-rule).
“Several temples were destroyed during the rule of Mughals and other foreign invaders. Last week, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant did the redevelopment of Saptakoteshwar temple, which was reconstructed by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Similarly, the temples in south India were also redeveloped by the Maratha warrior king. Shivaji Maharaj constructed grand gates in front of the temples and tried to restore these structures,” Shah said after inaugurating the first phase of “Shivsrushti” — a grand memorial dedicated to the Maratha warrior king — unveiled on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the founder of the Maratha empire.
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“After Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, this tradition of restoration of temples was continued by Bajirao Peshwa, Nanasaheb Peshwe, Madhavrao Peshwe and lastly Punyashlok Ahilyadevi. Today, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also taking that work ahead as Ram Mandir is being built, the Kashi Vishwanath corridor has also been constructed and Somnath temple is being decorated with gold. The BJP government and PM Modi are redeveloping several temples,” he added.
The “Shivsrushti” is spread across 21 acres and was conceptualised by Padma Vibhushan awardee Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare, who formed the Maharaja Chhatrapati Pratishthan for its execution. The project’s first phase, which cost ₹60 crore, has been completed, with the state government contributing ₹50 crore towards it.
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Shah said the project, aimed at promoting tourism in Maharashtra, “will be Asia’s largest theme park, which has a perfect blend of historical facts and technology”. “Work will not stop on the project. I am confident that the project will be completed on time,” he added.
Hailing Shivaji Maharaj’s contribution towards shaping the history of India, Shah referred to a statement made by Maharashtra’s first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan. “Had there been no Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the entire world knows what would have been the fate of India. There would not have been a need to go very far to find the Pakistan border. Perhaps, the border could have been found outside your and my house,” Shah said, quoting Chavan.
“I would like to say that Shivaji Maharaj’s life was not about acquiring power. His life was all about revolting against the atrocities done for more than 100 years. His life was about fighting for swadharma, and eulogising the swabhasha (). His life was all about establishing swaraj,” he said.
“The journey of this swaraj spread from Attock to Cuttack, from Gujarat to Bengal and gave a new spark to the entire country. And this fight is still going on. His insistence on swaraj, swadharma and swabhasha used to reflect on every aspect and that is why his rajmudra (royal seal) was made in Sanskrit,” he added.
By establishing “swaraj”, Shah said, the Maratha king sent a message to the world that no one can unleash atrocities on India.
“This thought of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was relevant till 1857. After him, this ideology was later taken forward by Chhatrapati Sambhaji, Chhatrapati Rajaram, Chhatrapati Shahu and later Peshvas from 1713 to 1818,” he added.
Congress spokesperson in Pune, Ramesh Iyer, said, “What Amit Shah has said is twisted fact. The current regime is using religion for votes unlike what Shivaji Maharaj did.”