Shah at 150th anniv of Bhuleshwar temple, talks cultural preservation
Mumbai: Recalling his childhood memories of a Mumbai quarter where the early Kathiawar, Kutch and Marwar migrants settled, Union home minister
Amit Shah
on Tuesday dwelt on the traditions that shaped the community and praised the trustees of a 150-year-old temple in the area for keeping their customs alive.
Shah chose to speak in Gujarati during the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Laxmi-Narayan Temple at the Madhavbaug complex in Bhuleshwar on Tuesday, an area predominantly Gujarati and Marwari in character.
He began by greeting those present with "Jai Shri Krishna." Lauding the trustees, he said he ran a similar charitable trust but in a smaller capacity and knew how difficult it was, especially in a city like Mumbai.
"I was born in Mumbai. I am linked to Mumbai. On several occasions, I came to this Laxmi-Narayan Temple for Aarti (Puja) and darshan while visiting the city. There used to be a wadi, a marriage hall run by the trustees, where scores of middle-class families could conduct their marriages at a very reasonable cost. My three sisters were married in this very wadi. This is four decades ago; there used to be a small hall, a large open space.
I remember very clearly," he recounted fondly.
He said he closely observed the idols since childhood, whose expressions are so beautifully essayed by the sculpture. Shah said he was born in a Vaishnav family, and the puja is still conducted in pure Vaishnav traditions. The trust used to teach the Bhagavad Gita, run a Sanskrit school too, and did a lot of social work.
Praising the generosity of the temple's founders, Varjivandas and Narottambhai, he said the lakhs of rupees they donated in 1875 would be equivalent to billions today.
It was the only time he spoke a few words in Hindi, addressing chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Shah said after 150 years, it was not enough to celebrate; rather, it was the trustees' responsibility to now lay the roadmap for the future. "Can Madhavbaug be a spiritual centre for the troubled middle class? Can this trust become a centre to teach the mother tongue, which is slowly being forgotten by grandchildren going to English medium schools? Today, go to a Gujarati home, and if you do not know English, it can become difficult; even parents do not speak to their children in Gujarati," said Shah, adding the trustees should work to make Madhavbaug a centre for Gujarati, Marwari, and Sanskrit.
Referring to the achievements of the Modi govt, he said Narendra Modi completed 11 years as PM on Monday. "This Gujarati son (Narendra Modi) has been focused on the development of the country... we have become the fourth largest economy, made the country secure, and those who tried to make the country unsafe, we entered their house and beat them up," said Shah.
Shah said Modi made Indians proud of India. "When I met a French diplomat, I asked him, what was the difference after 10 years? He said for those from the Western world, Modi has increased the value of India's passport," he said.
The home minister said political will was needed, and Modi, after 550 years, ensured the Ram idol was moved from a tent to a splendid temple, and the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor, which was destroyed by Aurangzeb, was restored.
Shah said Operation Sindoor showed the importance of Sindoor. "...Ek chutki sindoor, which is important to our mothers, sisters... we have shown the importance of the Sindoor. There were ten crore online searches for the meaning of Sindoor... we went into their home and destroyed their hideouts," said Shah.
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