Ujjain: Amid Vedic chants, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a large ‘shivaling’ covered in strands of sacred red threads placed below the grand gateway — Nandi Dwar — of ‘Mahakal Lok’ to mark the inauguration of the mega corridor in Ujjain Tuesday.
Prior to dedicating the corridor to people, Modi performed puja at the ancient Mahakaleshwar Temple.
The prime minister unveiled the ‘shivaling’ by pressing a remote control button from a short distance from the gateway in the presence of a large number of seers in the background.
Modi then walked through the Nandi Dwar accompanied by Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai C Patel and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan amid tight security in the sprawling premises.
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A bilingual plaque bearing inscription in Sanskrit and Hindi was also unveiled to mark the inauguration.
Later, Modi also walked in the premises of the ‘Mahakal Lok’ to see the structures, murals and sculptures in the ‘Mahakal Lok’ while a number of artists performed along the route in separate groups.
The first phase of the Rs 856-crore Mahakaleshwar Temple corridor development project is expected to significantly boost tourism in this holy city of Madhya Pradesh.
The corridor measures over 900 metres in length and is dotted with 108 ornate sandstone columns in a row which bear decorative ‘trishul’ design on top and ‘mudras’ of Lord Shiva.
It also has gushing fountains surrounded by artistic sculptures of the deity as well as 53 illuminated murals depicting stories from the Shiv Puran.
PTI