60-Year Wait Over: Adi Shankaracharya Temple to Become National Spiritual Hub The foundation stone of Adi Shankaracharya Temple was also laid some time ago today, informed the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri Manoj Sinha. And I believe that after a long wait of six decades, that sacred moment has arrived and we all have become witnesses to it. In the coming times, the grand form of Shri Adi Shankaracharya Temple will be revealed in its full form before all of us. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board will also construct fifty shops in the Shri Adi Shankaracharya Temple Complex for employment of local residents, which will be allotted to the landowners, LG added. I believe that just as penance and worship mature with the test of time, similarly, the construction of Shri Adi Shankaracharya Temple is also the result of collective faith and patience. In the times to come, Shri Adi Shankaracharya Mandir will not only be a religious place but will also become a new base for the spiritual life of crores of devotees across the country. Most of the people who come to Srinagar are followers of Sanatan Dharma and visit that temple to seek blessings of Lord Bholenath. It is mentioned in history that Shri Adi Shankaracharya also came to this hill and did meditation here and offered prayers and hence I believe that the construction of this temple will become a centre of attraction not only for the people of Reasi or Kathua or Jammu region but also for the devotees from all over the country. Many devotees coming to visit Mata Vaishnodevi will also reach here, which will give impetus to business and economic activities in the entire region. New employment opportunities will be created, local businesses will be strengthened and regional development will also get a new impetus. I believe that spiritual upliftment and economic prosperity are not two different things but two sides of the same coin; they complement each other. I personally see Adi Shankaracharya as a nation-builder who gave a new direction to the spiritual consciousness of holistic India and by reconciling the vast differences prevalent in the country at that time, paved the way for national unity, cultural renaissance and religious harmony. With the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi, this temple of Shankaracharya will enliven the Vedic tradition and also provide a strong foundation of spirituality in the lives of devotees, LG said. I believe that Adi Shankaracharya Temple will not only be a collection of stones and pillars but will also become a symbol of the Sanatan culture, collective faith, strength and spiritual cultural consciousness of India. Friends, today’s occasion also reminds us that Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has strived to provide both sustainable progress and inner peace to the society through a balance between spirituality and development. To boost the regional economy, the Shrine Board will give priority to procurement from women self-help groups and local young entrepreneurs. The Shrine Board has resolved to make Katra vibrant and equipped with modern amenities to provide the best possible facilities to the residents and crores of pilgrims. The aim of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Borad is to provide stability to the society by building a world-class cultural and spiritual centre. The Lieutenant Governor congratulated all the local citizens and devotees from India and abroad on the foundation stone laying ceremony of Shri Adi Shankaracharya Temple.
