He was accompanied by Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
The Prime Minister was dressed in traditional dhoti when he arrived at Shri Mahakal Lok from the Nandi Dwar. After arriving at the inner sanctum, PM Modi performed pooja and darshan and prayed with folded hands before Lord Shri Mahakal in presence of the temple priests.
After performing aarti and offering pushpanjali, the Prime Minister sat in the south corner of the inner sanctum and meditated while mantras were chanted. He also sat next to the Nandi statue and prayed with folded hands, the PMO said in a statement.
PM Modi went on to unveil the plaque to mark the dedication of Shri Mahakal Lok. He also met the temple saints and had a brief conversation with them. The Prime Minister then visited the Mahakal Lok temple complex and took a walk and viewed the Saptrishi Mandal, the Mandapam, Tripurasura Vadh and Navgarh.
According to Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Phase-I of the ‘Mahakal Lok’ project will help in enriching the experience of pilgrims visiting the temple by providing them with world-class modern amenities.
“Project aims to decongest the entire area and also put special emphasis on conservation and restoration of heritage structures. Under the project, the temple precinct will be expanded nearly seven times. The total cost of the entire project is around ₹850 crore. The existing footfall of the temple, which is currently around 1.5 crore per annum, is expected to be doubled. Development of the project has been planned under two phases," said the PMO.
The Mahakal Path contains 108 stambhs (pillars) which depict Anand Tandav Swaroop (Dance form) of Lord Shiva. Many religious sculptures depicting the life of Lord Shiva are installed along the Mahakal Path.
The mural wall along the Path is based on Shiva Purana stories such as the Act of creation, the Birth of Ganesha, Story of Sati and Daksha among others.
The Plaza area, which is spread over 2.5 hectares, is surrounded by a lotus pond and contains the statue of Shiva along with fountains. The entire premise will be monitored 24x7 by Integrated Command and Control Centre with the help of artificial intelligence and surveillance cameras.
The Prime Minister also witnessed the murals along the path based on stories about the act of creation, the birth of Ganesha, story of Sati and Daksha among others from Shiva Purana.
PM Modi later watched a cultural programme that was showcased on occasion and witnessed the Malkhamb performance at Mansarovar. This was followed by darshan at the Bharat Mata Mandir.
