Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will on Thursday unveil a grand statue of Hindu saint Adi Shankaracharya in Omkareshwar, a temple town which houses one of the 12 Jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva.
A day before unveiling the 108 feet tall structure named Ekatmata Ki Pratima (Statue of Oneness), Chouhan on Wednesday said it will be a historic occasion and pointed out that though Adi Shankaracharya was born in present-day Kerala, he attained enlightenment at Omkareshwar while traveling through forests and mountains.
After gaining knowledge at the temple town in present-day Khandwa district, the 8th century philosopher travelled to Kashi, the CM said.
The multi-metal towering structure is perched atop the picturesque Mandhata hill on the banks of the Narmada river in Omkareshwar.
A large number of Hindu priests and saints have already gathered in the temple town during the past few days and are carrying out religious rituals, including 'yajnas'.
Besides participating in various rituals, Chouhan will also release religious books on the occasion.
The CM was supposed to unveil the grand statue on September 18, but because of heavy rains in the region, the programme was rescheduled for September 21.
The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Madhya Pradesh had earlier given its approval for a Rs 2,141.85-crore project under which the statue of Adi Shankaracharya was to be built along with a museum in Omkareshwar. -- PTI