VIJAYAWADA: Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya's commemoration services were organized on a grand scale atop the hill shrine on Indrakeeladri in the city. The commemoration ceremonies are being held at 14 temples visited by Adi Shankaracharya in Andhra Pradesh as per the directions of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Minister of State for Endowments Vellampalli Srinivas, participated in the festivities held atop the Durga temple in Vijayawada on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, Vellampalli said that Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya is the embodiment of the Bhagavat. We are happy that Prime Minister Modi has conducted the Adi Shankaracharya Memorial services in Kedarnath. Commemoration ceremonies were held at the shrines he visited across the country. Adi Shankaracharya installed the Srichakram in the Kanakadurga Temple in Vijayawada. That is why we also organized a celebration at the Durga Temple here. We have arranged for live viewing of the event of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Kedarnath for the unveiling of the statue of the pontiff there. We would also like to extend special thanks to Prime Minister Modi for taking the initiative to make everyone aware of the uniqueness of Adi Shankaracharya, said the Minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a rebuilt samadhi of Adi Shankaracharya in Kedarnath and also unveiled a statue of the pontiff. Addressing a gathering of priests and devotees, he said the redevelopment of centres of faith in India shows the country's growing pride in its ancient saints and philosophers like Adi Guru Shankaracharya and Swami Vivekananda. He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of reconstruction projects worth over Rs 400 crore at Kedarnath in Uttarakhand.

In view of Modi's visit to Kedarnath, party president J P Nadda has planned grand cultural renaissance programmes across the country, including at four dhams, 12 jyotirlingas and 87 prominent temples along the routes taken by Shankaracharya during his travels.

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