Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday offered prayers at the revered Mahakaleshwar Temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain ahead of dedicating to the nation the first phase of the ‘Shri Mahakal Lok’ corridor. PM Modi entered the sanctum sanctorum of the Lord Mahakal temple at around 6 PM attired in traditional dhoti and gamcha (stole). He was accompanied by Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Later in the evening, PM Modi is set to dedicate to the nation the first phase of ‘Shri Mahakal Lok’ (corridor) in Ujjain.
PM Shri @narendramodi dedicates Shri Mahakal Lok in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. https://t.co/Xm8eZLO4DL— BJP (@BJP4India) October 11, 2022
Prayers are also being held at temples in all villages and cities of Madhya Pradesh coinciding with PM Modi’s programme to inaugurate the first phase of the ‘Shri Mahakal Lok’ corridor.
A state government release said locals are set to gather in one temple of each village and offer prayers. Similar programmes are being organised at big temples in every ward of the urban areas along with the grand event in Ujjain.
‘Shri Mahakal Lok’ corridor
The ‘Shri Mahakal Lok’ corridor is part of the Rs 856 crore Mahakaleshwar Temple corridor development project. The first phase of ‘Mahakal Lok’ has been developed at Rs 316 crore.
The ‘Mahakal Lok’ corridor, built as one of the largest such corridors in the country, spreads around the old Rudrasagar Lake which has also been revived as part of the redevelopment project around the famous Mahakaleshwar Temple, one of the 12 ‘jyotirlings’ in the country which attracts a large number of devotees, according to a report by news agency PTI.
Two majestic gateways — Nandi Dwar and Pinaki Dwar — separated by a short distance, have been erected near the starting point of the corridor, which winds its way to the temple’s entrance and offers an aesthetic view along the way, he said.
A majestic colonnade of 108 ornate pillars made of intricately carved sandstones, gushing fountains and a running panel of more than 50 murals depicting stories from the ‘Shiv Puran’ are among the major highlights of the Mahakal Lok in Ujjain, the official said.
The pedestrian corridor is dotted with 108 murals and 93 statues depicting stories related to Lord Shiva, such as Shiv Vivah, Tripurasur Vadh, Shiv Puran, and Shiv Tandav Swaroop. There are also 128 convenience points, eateries and shopping joints, florists, handicraft stores, etc. along this pedestrian corridor.
The second phase, pegged at Rs 310.22 crore, includes expansion of the eastern and northern fronts of the temple. It also includes development of various areas of Ujjain city, such as Maharajwada, Mahal Gate, Hari Phatak Bridge, Ramghat façade, and Begam Bagh Road. Buildings in Maharajwada will be redeveloped and connected to the Mahakal temple campus, while a heritage dharamshala and Kumbh museum will be built.
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