PM’s address at the launch of various projects in Dwarka, Gujarat
Speaker: Narendra Modi
Date: 25 Feb, 2024

Dwarkadhish ki – Jai! Dwarkadhish ki – Jai! Dwarkadhish ki – Jai! Present on the dais are the popular Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, my colleague in Parliament and the President of the Gujarat State Bharatiya Janata Party, Shri C. R. Patil, other esteemed dignitaries, and my brothers and sisters from Gujarat, First of all, I pay my respects to my Ahir sisters who welcomed me and I express my respectful gratitude to them. A few days ago, a video went viral on social media. About 37,000 Ahir sisters were performing Garba in Dwarka, and people were proudly telling me, “Sir, there were 37,000 Ahir sisters in Dwarka!” I said, “You saw the Garba, but there was another special aspect to it; when those 37,000 Ahir sisters were performing Garba, they were having at least 25,000 kilograms of gold on their bodies.” This is the conservative number which I am stating. When people found out that they were wearing about 25,000 kilograms of gold on their bodies during Garba, they were astonished. I bow my head in gratitude to all the motherly figures for welcoming me and blessing me, and I express my gratitude to all the Ahir sisters. I respectfully bow to Dwarka Dham, the land of Lord Shri Krishna. Lord Krishna resides in Devbhoomi Dwarka as Dwarkadhish. Whatever happens here is willed by Dwarkadhish. In the morning, I was fortunate to visit and worship in the temple. It is said that Dwarka is a part of both the Char Dham and the Sapta Puri. Adi Shankaracharya established one of the four peeths here, the Sharada Peeth. Here lies the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, the temple of Rukmani Devi, and many other centres of faith. Recently, amidst my ‘Desh Kaaj’ (national duties), I have been fortunate to embark on ‘Dev Kaaj’ (pilgrimages) to various holy places across the country. Today, I am experiencing that divine aura here in Dwarka Dham. This morning, I had another experience, one that will stay with me for life. I had the opportunity to dive into the depths of the ocean and witness the ancient Dwarka. Archaeologists have written much about the submerged Dwarka in the sea. Our scriptures also mention Dwarka extensively — भविष्यति पुरी रम्या सुद्वारा प्रार्ग्य-तोरणा। चयाट्टालक केयूरा पृथिव्याम् ककुदोपमा॥ In other words, this city with beautiful gates and tall buildings must have been like a pinnacle on earth. It is said that Lord Vishwakarma himself constructed this city of Dwarka. The city of Dwarka was an excellent example of its organization and development. Today, as I was witnessing Dwarka ji within the depths of the deep sea, I was experiencing deep within me that ancient grandeur, that divine aura. I paid my respects to Lord Shri Krishna, Dwarkadhish. I had also carried a peacock feather with me, which I offered there while remembering Lord Krishna. For many years, I had a great curiosity when I learned from archaeologists. I had a desire to go inside the sea someday and pay homage to whatever remains of that Dwarka city with reverence. Today, that desire of mine has been fulfilled after many years. I am overwhelmed and my mind is filled with emotions. Imagine how much profound joy I must be feeling now after nurturing that dream for decades and finally touching that holy land. Friends, The vision of Bharat’s glory in the 21st century was also revolving in my eyes, and I remained inside for a long time. And the reason for arriving here late today was that I stayed underwater for quite some time. Through the sight of the oceanic Dwarka, I have strengthened the resolve of ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed Bharat). Friends, Today, I am fortunate to inaugurate the Sudarshan Setu. Six years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in the foundation stone laying ceremony of this bridge. This bridge will connect Okha to the Beyt Dwarka Island. It will not only make it easier to visit Dwarkadhish but will also enhance the divine beauty of this place. I had envisioned this dream, laid its foundation, and realised it today — this is the guarantee of Modi, the sevak of the people, who embody the divine. The Sudarshan Setu is not just a convenience; it is also a marvel of engineering. And I would like the students of structural engineering to study this Sudarshan Setu. This is the longest cable-stayed bridge so far in Bharat. I congratulate all the citizens of the country for this modern and magnificent bridge. Today, when such significant work is underway, an old memory comes to mind. There is a state in Russia named Astrakhan, and Gujarat has a sister-state relationship with Astrakhan. When I was the Chief Minister (of Gujarat), they invited me to Astrakhan State in Russia. And when I went there, it was astonishing for me to find that the best market, the biggest mall, was named after Okha. Everything was named after Okha. I asked, “Why is it named Okha?” So centuries ago, people used to go from here for business, and whatever was sent from here was considered the best quality there. That’s why even after centuries, when shops and malls are named after Okha, people believe that they can find very high-quality items there. The respect that Okha commanded centuries ago is once again going to shine on the world map after the construction of the Sudarshan Setu, and the name of Okha is going to flutter further. Friends, Today, as I look at the Sudarshan Setu, many old memories come flooding back. Earlier, the people of Dwarka and Beyt Dwarka had to rely on ferry boats. They had to travel a long distance first by sea and then by road. Travellers faced difficulties, and sometimes, the boat service would be suspended due to the high waves of the sea. This caused a lot of inconvenience to the devotees. When I was the Chief Minister, the companions from here visiting me would always talk about the need of the bridge. And our Shiv-Shiv, our Babuba, had an agenda that this work has to be done by me. Today, I see that Babuba is the happiest. Friends, I used to repeatedly bring up this issue before the Congress-led central government at that time, but they never paid attention to it. The construction of this Sudarshan Setu was also written in my destiny by Lord Shri Krishna. I am happy that I have been able to fulfil this responsibility by obeying the command of God. The construction of this bridge will now provide great convenience to devotees coming from all over the country. Another special feature of this bridge is its spectacular lighting, which will be powered by solar panels installed on the bridge itself. Twelve tourist galleries have been built in the Sudarshan Setu. Today, I have also visited these galleries. They are wonderful and beautifully crafted. People will be able to behold the boundless blue sea through these galleries. Friends, On this auspicious occasion today, I would also like to commend the people of the holy land of Dwarka. The cleanliness missions they have initiated here, and the videos people used to send me on social media about the tremendous cleanliness work going on in Dwarka, are remarkable. Are you all happy? Are you all pleased with the cleanliness efforts, as everything looks so clean now? But what is your responsibility now? Do I have to come back to clean again? Will you all ensure to keep it clean? Raise your hands and say, “Now we will not let Dwarka get dirty.” See, people from abroad will come here. Many devotees will come. When they see cleanliness, half of their hearts will be won by you. Friends, When I assured the citizens of the development of New Bharat, these opposition members, who are fond of hurling abuses at me every day, used to mock it. Today, people are witnessing the emergence of a new Bharat with their own eyes. Those who ruled the country for a long time lacked the will power; their intention and dedication to providing convenience to the common people were flawed. The entire strength of the Congress party was focused on promoting one family; if only one family had to do everything, then how would the idea of building a nation come to mind? Their entire power was invested in how to run the government for 5 years and how to suppress scandals. That’s why in the 10 years before 2014, Bharat could only become the 11th largest economy. When the economy was so small, the capability to fulfil such grand dreams of such a vast country was not there. Whatever a little budget was earmarked for infrastructure, they would indulge in corruption. When it was time to enhance telecom infrastructure in the country, the Congress committed the 2G scam. When the opportunity arose to modernize sports infrastructure in the country, the Congress committed the Commonwealth scam. When it was time to strengthen defence infrastructure in the country, the Congress committed the helicopter and submarine scams. With every need of the country, the Congress can only betray trust. Friends, When all of you sent me to Delhi with your blessings in 2014, I had promised that I would not let the country be looted. The thousands of crores of scams that used to happen during the Congress era have now stopped. In the past 10 years, we have made the country the 5th largest economy in the world, and the result of this is the magnificent, grand, and divine construction work that you are witnessing all over the country. On one hand, our divine pilgrimage sites are coming up in a modern avatar, and on the other hand, a new image of Bharat is emerging from mega projects. Today, you are witnessing the longest cable-stayed bridge in Gujarat. Just a few days ago, the country’s longest sea bridge was completed in Mumbai. The magnificent bridge built over the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir is now the talk of the world. Work is also progressing rapidly on the country’s first vertical lift bridge, the New Pamban Bridge, in Tamil Nadu. Bharat’s longest river bridge in Assam has also been built in the past 10 years. Large-scale construction is underway in the east, west, north, and south. This modern connectivity is the path to building a capable and strong nation. Friends, When connectivity improves, its direct impact is felt on the country’s tourism. The increasing connectivity in Gujarat is turning the state into a major tourist hub. Today, Gujarat has 22 sanctuaries and 4 national parks. The thousands of years old port city of Lothal is being discussed all over the world. Today, the city of Ahmedabad, Rani ki Vav, Champaner, and Dholavira have become World Heritage Sites. Shivrajpur Beach in Dwarka has a Blue Flag. Ahmedabad is a World Heritage City. Asia’s longest ropeway is on our Mount Girnar. Asiatic lions are found in our Gir forests. The world’s tallest statue, the Statue of Unity of Sardar Sahab, is in Gujarat’s Ekta Nagar. During the Rann Utsav, there is a fair of tourists from all over the world. The village of Dhordo in Kutch is counted among the best tourism villages in the world. Nada Bet is becoming an important centre for patriotism and tourism. Places of faith are also being beautified in Gujarat by following the mantra of ‘Vikas’ (development) and ‘Virasat’ (heritage). Facilities have been developed at all important pilgrimage sites such as Dwarka, Somnath, Pavagadh, Modhera, Ambaji. Such arrangements have been made in Ambaji that the darshan of 52 Shakti Peeths can be done at one place. Today, Gujarat is becoming the choice of foreign tourists coming to Bharat. Out of more than 85 lakh tourists who came to Bharat in 2022, every fifth tourist came to Gujarat. Nearly 1.5 million tourists had come to Gujarat by August last year. Gujarat has also benefited from the facility of e-visa given to foreign tourists by the Central Government. This increase in the number of tourists is also creating new opportunities for employment and self-employment in Gujarat. Friends, Whenever I come to Saurashtra, I return with a new energy from here. The land of Saurashtra is a great inspiration from ‘Sankalp’ (determination) to ‘Siddhi’ (success). Today, seeing the development of Saurashtra, no one would ever realize how difficult life used to be here earlier. We have seen those days when every family, every farmer, in Saurashtra used to yearn for every drop of water. People used to migrate from here, walking far away. When I used to say that the water from the rivers which flowed throughout the year will be brought from there to Saurashtra and Kutch, Congress people used to make fun of me. But today, Sauni is a scheme that has changed the fate of Saurashtra. Under this scheme, pipelines of more than 1300 kilometers have been laid, and these pipelines are not small either, a Maruti car can run inside the pipe. As a result, water for irrigation and drinking has reached hundreds of villages in Saurashtra. Now the farmers, cattle rearers and fishermen of Saurashtra are becoming prosperous. I believe the whole of Saurashtra and Gujarat will reach new heights of success in the next few years. The blessings of Dwarkadhish are with us. Together, we will develop Saurashtra and Gujarat, and when Gujarat develops, Bharat will develop. Once again, I congratulate all of you from the bottom of my heart for this magnificent bridge. And now I urge my Dwarka residents, please make up your mind now how to attract more and more tourists from all over the world. After they come, they should feel like staying here. I respect your sentiment. Say with me: Dwarkadhish ki – Jai! Dwarkadhish ki – Jai! Dwarkadhish ki – Jai! Bharat Mata ki – Jai! Bharat Mata ki – Jai! Bharat Mata ki – Jai! Thank you very much.