Indore, Sep 4 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday laid the foundation stone of ‘Shri Parshuram-Shri Krishna Lok’, a new religious corridor at Janapav in Indore district, with the project estimated to cost around Rs 17 crore.
Performing the ‘bhoomi pujan’ on the occasion of Janmashtami amid Vedic chants at Janapav, located about 50 km from the district headquarters, Yadav said various religious sites associated with Lord Krishna and Lord Ram in the state are being developed as pilgrimage destinations.
Janapav, situated amid the scenic hills of the Vindhya mountain range, attracts a large number of tourists, particularly during the monsoon season.
Speaking at the ceremony, Yadav said Janapav bears testimony to the glorious history associated with Lord Parshuram and Lord Krishna and the state government would bring alive this golden chapter of Sanatan culture through the ‘Shri Parshuram-Shri Krishna Lok’ project.
Citing Hindu religious beliefs, Yadav said Janapav is the sacred place where Lord Parshuram presented the Sudarshan Chakra to Lord Krishna.
“Wherever Lord Krishna and Lord Ram set foot in Madhya Pradesh, all such places will be developed as pilgrimage destinations,” he said.
Yadav also accused the opposition Congress of spreading social discord and creating disputes among different castes, saying development of such pilgrimage sites would help promote social harmony.
Referring to the rise in religious tourism in the state, Yadav said around 70 lakh people visited Ujjain in 2022, while the number rose to eight crore devotees last year and was expected to cross 10 crore this year.
Mhow MLA Usha Thakur said the ‘Shri Parshuram-Shri Krishna Lok’ would depict the episode of Lord Parshuram presenting the Sudarshan Chakra to Lord Krishna and the latter accepting the divine weapon.
She said the project was being included among the works linked to the Simhastha festival to be held in Ujjain in 2028.
Officials said the Rs 17-crore project includes redevelopment of ‘yajna kunds’ (sacred fire pits), a grand auditorium, meditation huts, gardens, a multipurpose building, a ropeway and expansion of other tourist facilities. PTI HWP LAL NP
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