BAGHPAT (UP), May 11 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that India’s pilgrimage sites and symbols of Sanatan faith regained their glory despite repeated attacks by foreign invaders, while those responsible for the destruction “vanished without a trace”.
The chief minister made the remarks while attending the consecration ceremony of idols of Navnaths and an ‘Aathman Bhandara’ programme at the Shiv Gorakhnath Ashram in Baghpat district.
Addressing the gathering, Adityanath said Sanatan Dharma had never attempted to forcibly dominate or enslave others.
“India continuously fought against foreign invaders under difficult circumstances. Those who tried to destroy our monasteries, temples and pilgrimage sites associated with the Sanatan faith have disappeared, while these pilgrimage sites have once again attained their lost glory,” Adityanath said.
“There is no trace left of those invaders or even their lineage,” he added.
Referring to the phrase ‘Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah’, the chief minister said religion protects those who protect it.
“If religion is misused for selfish gains, the destruction of dharma will ultimately destroy us as well. Personal losses can be compensated, but damage caused to religion cannot be repaired easily, and its consequences are suffered by future generations too,” he said.
Adityanath also referred to the reconstruction and restoration of several prominent religious sites in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India is reconnecting with its spiritual and cultural heritage through the redevelopment of sites such as the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Ram Mandir, Somnath temple, Mahakal Lok, Kedarpuri and Vindhyavasini Dham, he said.
The chief minister added that Monday also marked the anniversary of the re-consecration of the Somnath temple in 1951 by India’s first president, Rajendra Prasad, after Mahmud of Ghazni attacked the temple in Gujarat in 1026.
He also recalled that former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had conducted three nuclear tests at Pokhran under Operation Shakti on the same day in 1998.
“Our strength is a symbol of our capability, which is equally important for global welfare,” he said.
Describing Baghpat as a region linked to the Mahabharata era, Adityanath said it was among the five villages sought by Lord Krishna for the Pandavas from the Kauravas.
He also praised the efforts of seers and locals in developing the Gorakhnath Ashram into a prominent religious centre.
Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath played a major role in awakening society and preserving religion and culture during periods of foreign rule, he said.
“Yogis were not confined to caves or temples. Whenever religion and culture are attacked, a yogi does not sit silently but responds strongly,” Adityanath said.
Several ministers, MPs, MLAs and religious leaders were present at the programme, an official statement said. (PTI)
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