While unveiling a statue of the 11th century Vaishnavite saint Sri Ramanajucharya virtually at a sun temple in Srinagar on Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that a new era of peace and development had dawned in Jammu and Kashmir with the withdrawal of the erstwhile State's special status through abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.
The pure white Makrana marble statue unveiled by the Home Minister virtually at Shuryar Mandir in Sonwar area of Srinagar weighs 600 kg and is 4-ft in height.
Home Minister @AmitShah unveils Statue of Peace of Swami Ramanujacharya in Srinagar through video conferencing. pic.twitter.com/JuXbg6Vsrc
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) July 8, 2022
Saints from across the country participated in the ceremony through video conferencing. The Yathiraj Mutt of Yadugiri, located in Mandya district of Karnataka, is the only original Mutt in Melkot that has existed since the time of Ramanujacharya.
Shah said that the establishment of the peace statue in Kashmir was a very auspicious sign for the entire country. He said that Jammu and Kashmir had progressed on the path of peace and progress under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Earlier in February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated a 216-ft tall statue of Sri Ramanuj acharya at Muchintal in Telangana. The saint has a substantial following in South India as well as in Maharashtra, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Assam.
"Statue of Equality is a tribute to the eternal teachings of Sri Ramanujacharya."
– PM Shri Narendra Modi.#StatueOfEquality pic.twitter.com/kZHKgLZsol
— Mann Ki Baat Updates मन की बात अपडेट्स (@mannkibaat) February 5, 2022
Shah asserted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, Sinha had established decisive supremacy on the ecosystem of terrorism in Kashmir. Sinha had taken development to the people of Kashmir without any discrimination, he said.
"After a long time, the country expected that Articles 370 and 35-A should be removed and Kashmir should be integrated with the rest of India. This expectation was fulfilled by the Prime Minister and a new era has begun in Kashmir from 5th August 2019. At such a time, the installation of this peace statue will bring the blessings and message of Swami Ramanujacharya to Kashmiris of all religions and will take Kashmir further on the path of peace and progress,” the Home Minister said. He spoke at length about a new Kashmir in a new India beginning in August 2019.
Statue of Equality has recently been inaugurated by @narendramodi Ji and Chinna Jeeyar Swamy Ji.
By looking at this statue, the mind gets instilled with peace and happiness.
I am sure it will further Ramanujacharya Ji's message of Equality and Sanatan Dharma all over the world. pic.twitter.com/DFOaOAhmmQ
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 8, 2022
Shah said that in a way Swami Ramanujacharya’s life and place of work was mostly in South India. “But the spread of his education and love is visible throughout the country. Many sects across the country have grown from the original message of Swami Ramanujacharya and his disciple Ramananda. As a result, today in Kashmir a peace statue has been established. This statue will give a message of peace not only to Kashmir but to the whole of India.
Shah said that when an earthquake devastated Gujarat, Jeeyar Swami was the first among those saints to reach there and raise the villages afresh. “The Gujarat Government is also going to install a grand statue of Ramanujacharya there next year, so that the people of Kutch would remember the work done by the Yadugiri Mutt..
Shah said that Sri Ramanujacharya was born in Tamil Nadu in Vikram Samvat 1074 and this wonderful child of Keshavacharya and Mata Kantimani studied the scriptures deeply in his teenage years. At the age of 23, leaving the householder’s ashram, the Yatiraj Sanyasis of Srirangam initiated him into Sanyas and then Ramanujacharya became a scholar, a revolutionary and a pioneer who brought many social changes during his time. He devoted his whole life to religion, devotion and the Nation. He had a deep relationship with Kashmir.
“Ramanujacharya reinterpreted inclusive society, religion and philosophy through the Vishishtadvaita sect. By adopting the formula of Manasa, Vacha, Karmana, he placed his life in the service of the people. His message led to the emergence of many sects across the country. Narsi Mehta, the famous poet of Gujarat, composed ‘Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye Je Peer Parai Jaane Re’, with the message of Ramanujacharya. Sant Kabir also accepted that whatever he could do in his life was due to Ramanujacharya,” Shah added.
“In various periods of India’s history, whenever society needed reforms, a great person has come forward to show the true path and Ramanujacharya was also born at a time when the country needed a great person. Today, on this occasion, I pay my respects to the life, works and personality of Ramanujacharya,” he added with emphasis on the saint's Kashmir connection.
Shah said that when social unity was being broken, many evils were afflicting society, then Ramanujacharya was sent and he did great work of connecting Vaishnavism with its origin. He added that in 2017, the celebrations of the 1000th birth anniversary of Bhagvat Ramanujacharya took place across the country with the diligence and devotion of Param Pujya Jeeyar Swami. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent the message of Bhagvat Ramanujacharya to the country from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 15 August, 2017.
According to the resolve taken then, a huge memorial of Ramanujacharya has been built in Hyderabad which will not only carry forward the message of his life into the future, but it has also become a place of Sanatan Dharma in Southern India which has spread all over the South. Strengthening of religious consciousness has also taken place in India, Shah said.
Speaking on the occasion, LG Manoj Sinha said the Statue of Peace symbolizes the values on which the Vishishtadvaita philosophy was founded by Jagadguru Ramajunacharya to show humanity the right path of peace and love. Jagadguru gave birth to the idea of social equality and contributed immensely to developing the spiritual consciousness in the society. “I believe that the efforts for the establishment of peace, progress of the society are not limited to any one area, but it is a movement of the entire humanity. Jagadguru also traveled to Kashmir to fulfill this purpose”, Sinha said.
