Prime Minister Narendra Modi today unveiled the ‘Statue of Peace’ to commemorate the celebrations for the 151st birthday of Vijay Vallabh Surishwer, via videoconference. The statue unveiled in honor of the Jain acharya has been named the ‘Statue of Peace’. The 151-inch tall statue has been made from Ashtadhatu, that is, 8 metals, copper being the main component, and is installed at Vijay Vallabh Sadhana Kendra, Jetpura, in Pali, Rajasthan.
The Prime Minister paid tribute to the Jainacharya and the spiritual leaders present on the occasion. Mentioning two ‘Vallabhs’, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel and the Vijay Vallabh Surishwer, Modi said that he feels blessed by the fact that after dedicating the tallest statue in the world of Sardar Patel, the ‘Statue of Unity’, he has the chance to unveil the Jainacharya Vijay Vallabh’s ‘Statue of Peace’.
Reiterating his emphasis on ‘vocal for local’, Modi asked that, as was the case during the freedom struggle, all spiritual leaders should amplify the message of ‘Atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) and preach on the benefits of ‘vocal for local’. He also said that the way the country supported the local economy during the Diwali festival is an energizing feeling.
The Prime Minister said that India has always shown the way of peace, non-violence and friendship to the world. Today the world is looking to India for a similar guide. If you look at the history of India, whenever the need arose, some holy figure arose to guide the society and that Acharya Vijay Vallabh was one of those saints. Mentioning the educational institutions established by Jainacharya, the prime minister praised his efforts to make the country Atmanirbhar in the field of education, as he established many institutes imbued with Indian values in states such as Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. He said these institutions have provided so many industrialists, judges, doctors and engineers that they have rendered great service to the nation.
Modi highlighted the debt that the country owes to the efforts of these institutions in the field of women’s education. These institutions kept the flame of female education alive in those difficult times. The Jainacharya established many institutions for girls and brought women into the mainstream. He said that the life of Acharya Vijay Vallabh was filled with kindness, compassion and love for every living being. With your blessings, Bird Hospital and many gaushalas are operating in the country today. “These are not ordinary institutions. They are the embodiment of the spirit of India and the distinctive features of India and the values of India”, Modi aid
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