9 years of Modi government: A look at PM’s efforts to rejuvenate Hindu temples

The nine years of the Narendra Modi government have seen development on many fronts – economic, social and cultural. The Prime Minister, who proudly calls himself a Hindu nationalist, has made special efforts to revive the ancient temples of India. The construction of a bigger Ram temple in Ayodhya is part of that effort. However, it is not only the PM’s personal inclination towards spirituality, but also his foresight – to gradually develop India’s religious tourism industry.

Here is a brief look at the Prime Minister’s visit/efforts to promote religious tourism:

1. Kashi Vishwanath

In 2019, the BJP government acquired around 400 buildings and houses to rebuild the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Later in 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in the heart of Varanasi, a mega project expected to boost tourism in a big way to the ancient city.

2. Somnath Temple

Gujarat’s Somnath Temple, which was attacked and looted several times by Muhammad Ghazni’s army, has been rebuilt several times, including PM Modi’s beautification of the Somnath temple complex. PM Modi is also the current chairman of the Shree Somnath Trust (SKT), the religious trust that manages and maintains the Somnath temple complex.

3. Kedarnath Temple

After the 2013 Uttarakhand floods, Prime Minister Modi initiated a renovation project for the Kedarnath temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. In several interviews, PM Modi has mentioned that Kedarnath is his favorite stop.

4. Ram Mandir in Ayodhya

During the 1990s, Narendra Modi took on the role of organizer of LK Advani’s nationwide Rath Yatra. However, he played a very important role after the BJP government came to power at the Centre. After several legal and political battles, PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in August 2020.

5. Char Dham Project

The Modi government launched the Char Dham project which aims to provide all-weather connectivity to the four holy cities of the state – Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. The project consists of 900 km of national highways that will connect the entire state of Uttarakhand. PM Modi laid the foundation stone of a project worth Rs 12,000 crore at the Parade Ground in Dehradun. Modi himself is monitoring the project through video-conferencing and is also taking real-time live updates through drone cameras.

6. Temple Rejuvenation in Kashmir

After the abrogation of Article 370, the BJP government administered by Prime Minister Modi started renovation works in several temple complexes in the valley including Srinagar.

7. Temples Abroad

In the last few years, PM Modi laid the foundation of many temples in foreign countries. During his visit to the United Arab Emirates in 2018, he laid the foundation stone of a Hindu temple, a first for the country.

In 2019, he launched a multi-million dollar project to renovate the 200-year-old Shrinathji Temple in Manama, Bahrain.