PM’s address at public gathering in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
Speaker: Narendra Modi
Date: 11 Oct, 2022

Har Har Mahadev! Jai Shri Mahakal, Jai Shri Mahakal! Mahakal Mahadev, Mahakal Maha Prabho! Mahakal Maharudra, Mahakal Namostute! Present in this memorable program on the holy land of Ujjain are the revered saints and sages from all over the country, Madhya Pradesh Governor Shri Mangubhai Patel, Chhattisgarh Governor Anusuiya Uikey ji, Jharkhand Governor Shri Ramesh Bains ji, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan ji, my colleagues in the Union Cabinet, state government ministers, MPs, legislators, all the benevolent devotees of Lord Mahakal, ladies and gentlemen, Jai Mahakal! This energy and enthusiasm of Ujjain! This aura, glory and bliss of Avantika (Ujjain)! This splendor and greatness of Mahakal! There is nothing conventional in ‘Mahakal Lok’. There is nothing ordinary in the company of (Lord) Shankar. Everything is supernatural and extraordinary. It’s memorable and unbelievable. When Mahakal is pleased with our austerity and faith, then such grand forms are created by his blessings and I can experience this today. With the blessings of Mahakal, the lines of time are erased, the limits of time are reduced and infinite possibilities bloom. The journey from the end to infinity begins. This magnificence of ‘Mahakal Lok’ will also give the vision of supernatural divinity to many generations to come beyond the limits of time and will energize the cultural and spiritual consciousness of India. I bow down at the feet of Rajadhiraja Mahakal on this wonderful occasion. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of you, all the devotees of Mahakal in the country and the world. In particular, I extend my heartfelt greetings to Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his government, who are constantly engaged in this service with complete dedication. I also sincerely thank all the people associated with the temple trust, saints and scholars, whose cooperation has made this effort successful. Friends, Ujjain, the city of Mahakal, has been referred to in our country as “प्रलयो न बाधते तत्र महाकालपुरी” i.e., the city of Mahakal is free from the ravages of catastrophe. When the geographical form of India thousands of years ago would have been different from what it is today, it has been believed that Ujjain is at the center of India. In a way, Ujjain has been not only the center of India in astrological calculations, but it has also been the center of the soul of India. This is the city, which is counted as one of our holy seven Puris. This is the city where Lord Krishna himself came and took education. Ujjain has seen the glory of Maharaja Vikramaditya, who started the new golden age of India. From this land of Mahakal, a new chapter of Indian calculus started in the form of Vikram Samvat. Every moment of Ujjain is steeped in history, spirituality abounds in every particle and there is divine energy in every corner. There are 84 Shivlingas representing the 84 ‘kalpas’ of the time cycle. There are 4 Mahaviras, 6 Vinayakas, 8 Bhairavas, Ashtamatrikas, 9 Navagrahas, 10 Vishnus, 11 Rudras, 12 Adityas, 24 Devis, and 88 Tirthas. And at its center is Rajadhiraj Kaladhiraja Mahakal. In a way, the energy of our entire universe has been established in Ujjain in a symbolic form by our sages. Therefore, Ujjain has led India’s affluence and prosperity, knowledge and dignity, civilization and literature for thousands of years. We can find the architecture, splendor, craft and the beauty of this city in the Meghadutam of the great poet Kalidas. The culture and traditions of Ujjain can be found in the poetry of poets like Banabhatta. Moreover, medieval writers have also praised its architecture. Brothers and sisters, The cultural splendor of a nation becomes vast only when the flag of its success flutters on the world map. And, to reach the pinnacle of success, it is also necessary that the nation touches its cultural heights and should stand proudly with its identity. Therefore, India has called for ‘liberation from the mentality of slavery’ and ‘being proud of its heritage’ like ‘Panch Pran’ (five pledges) in the ‘Amrit Kaal’ of Independence. Therefore, the construction of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya is going on at full speed today. Vishwanath Dham in Kashi is adding pride to the cultural capital of India. Development works are setting new records in Somnath. With the blessings of Baba Kedar in Uttarakhand, new chapters of development are being written in the Kedarnath-Badrinath pilgrimage area. For the first time after independence, our four Dhams are going to be connected with all weather roads through the Chardham Project. Not only this, Kartarpur Sahib Corridor has opened and Hemkund Sahib is going to be connected by ropeway for the first time after independence. Similarly, the pride of many such centers of our spiritual consciousness is being restored across the country through ‘Swadesh Darshan’ and ‘Prasad Yojana’. As part of this, this grand ‘Mahakal Lok’ is also ready to welcome the future with the glory of the past. When we look at our ancient temples from north to south, from east to west, their vastness and architecture fill us with wonder. Who in the world does not get surprised with the Sun temple of Konark or the Kailash temple of Ellora in Maharashtra? Like the Konark Sun Temple, there is also the Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat, where the first rays of the Sun directly enter the sanctum sanctorum. Similarly, there is the Brihadeeswara Temple built by Rajaraja Chola in Tanjore, Tamil Nadu. Kancheepuram has Varadaraja Perumal Temple and Rameshwaram has Ramanatha Swamy Temple. Belur has Channakeshava Temple, Madurai has Meenakshi Temple, Telangana has Ramappa Temple and Srinagar has Shankaracharya Temple. There are many such temples, which are unmatched, unimaginable and are living examples of ‘Neither Bhooto Na Bhavishyati’ (neither the past, nor the future). When we see them, we are compelled to marvel at the technology which was used to build them in that era. We may not get the answers to all our questions, but the spiritual and cultural messages of these temples can be heard with equal clarity even today. When generations see this heritage, listen to its messages, it becomes the vehicle of our continuity and immortality as a civilization. This tradition has been engraved effectively by arts and crafts in ‘Mahakal Lok’. This entire temple courtyard has been built on the basis of the stories of Shiv Purana. If you come here, you will also see the glory and importance of Mahakal along with the ‘darshan’ of Mahakal. The grand forms of Panchmukhi Shiva, his damru, snake, trident, crescent moon and saptarishi have been installed here. These along with the incorporation of knowledge connect the ‘Mahakal Lok’ to its ancient glory and enhance its significance even more. Brothers and sisters, It is written in our scriptures – ‘Shivam Jnanam’. It means Shiva is knowledge and knowledge is Shiva. The supreme ‘darshan’ of the universe lies in the ‘darshan’ of Shiva. And ‘darshan’ is the vision of Shiva. I believe this development of our Jyotirlingas is the development of India’s spiritual light, the development of India’s knowledge and philosophy. This cultural philosophy of India is once again reaching the summit and getting ready to guide the world. Friends, Lord Mahakal is the only Jyotirlinga which is facing south. This is such a form of Shiva, whose ‘Bhasma Aarti’ (offering of ashes) is famous all over the world. Every devotee definitely wants to see ‘Bhasma Aarti’ in his life. All the saints present here will be able to tell about the religious importance of ‘Bhasma Aarti’, but I also see the vigor and vitality of our India in this tradition. I also see in this the invincible existence of India, because, Shiva who is ‘Soyam Bhuti Vibhushanah’, that is, the one who wears the ashes, is also ‘Sarvadhipah Sarvada’ i.e., He is also immortal and indestructible. Therefore, where there is Mahakal, there are no boundaries of periods. In the refuge of Mahakal, even the poison vibrates. In the presence of Mahakal, there is resurrection even from the end. The journey of infinity also begins from the end. This is the spiritual confidence of our civilization due to which India has remained immortal for thousands of years. It has remained immortal. As long as these centers of our faith are awakened, the consciousness and soul of India is awakened. In the past we have seen efforts were made, circumstances changed, powers changed, India was also exploited and lost its independence also. Invaders like Iltutmish made efforts to destroy the energy of Ujjain as well. But our sages have said – चंद्रशेखरम् आश्रये मम् किम् करिष्यति वै यमः i.e., what will even death do to us in the shelter of Mahakal Shiva? As a result, India resurfaced, rose again from the energy of these authentic centers of faith. We again made the same universal declaration of our immortality. With the blessings of Mahakal, India wrote an inscription of its timeless existence. Today once again, ‘Amar Avantika’ is proclaiming the cultural immortality of India in the ‘Amrit Kaal’ of Independence. Ujjain, which has been the focal point of Indian calculus for thousands of years, is once again heralding a new period of India’s grandeur. Friends, Religion for India means collective determination of our duties! The goal of our resolutions is the welfare of the world, service to mankind. While worshiping Shiva, we say नमामि विश्वस्य हिते रतम् तम्, नमामि रूपाणि बहूनि धत्ते i.e., we bow to the Vishwapati Lord Shiva, who is engaged in the interests of the whole world in many ways. This has always been the spirit of the pilgrimages, temples, monasteries and faith centers of India. People from all over the country and the world visit the Mahakal temple. Lakhs of people gather at the Simhastha Kumbh. What can be a better example than this that countless diversity can also unite together with one mantra, one resolution? For thousands of years, Kumbh Mela has had the tradition of taking a resolution from the nectar that comes out after a collective churning and executing it for twelve years. There was churning of nectar once again after 12 years when the next Kumbh took place. Once again, the resolution was taken for the next 12 years. I had the privilege of coming here in the last Kumbh Mela. How could this son stay away from it when there was the call of Mahakal? At that time, the thousand-year-old tradition of Kumbh was going on in my mind and I was overwhelmed. I had many thoughts on the banks of Maa Kshipra. I don’t know how some words came out of me and it became a resolution. It is being realized today, friends. I congratulate the friends who have realized that spirit today. Complete dedication to Shiva and Shivatva, reverence for Kshipra in everyone’s mind, sensitivity to living beings and nature, and such a huge gathering! How many inspirations can come out of here for the welfare of the world? Brothers and sisters, These pilgrimage centers have given messages as well as strength to the nation for centuries. Our centers like Kashi were the capital of knowledge, philosophy and art along with religion. Our places like Ujjain have been the top centers of research related to astronomy. Today, when New India is moving forward with its ancient values, it is also reviving the tradition of science and research along with faith. Today we match the major powers of the world in the field of astronomy. Today India is also launching satellites of other countries into space. Through missions like Mission Chandrayaan and Mission Gaganyaan, India is ready to take that leap in the sky, which will give us a new height. Today, India is moving towards self-reliance in the field of defence also with full force. Similarly, today our youth are stoking India’s talent in every field with new unicorns and startups. And brothers and sisters, We also have to remember that where there is innovation, there is renovation also. What we lost in the era of slavery, today India is renovating it and its glory is being restored. Believe me friends, today we are at the feet of Mahakal, this will benefit not only the people of India but the whole world and humanity. With the blessings of Mahakal, the grandeur of India will give rise to new possibilities for the development of the whole world. The divinity of India will pave the way for peace for the whole world. With this belief, I bow my head once again at the feet of Lord Mahakal. Speak with me with full devotion: Jai Mahakal! Jai Jai Mahakal, Jai Jai Mahakal, Jai Jai Mahakal, Jai Jai Mahakal, Jai Jai Mahakal, Jai Jai Mahakal, Jai Jai Mahakal.