108-Foot-Tall Statue of Adi Shankaracharya Unveiled in Madhya Pradesh as Symbol of Unity and Oneness
Madhya Pradesh, September 21, 2021 – A towering 108-feet-tall statue of Adi Shankaracharya was unveiled in Madhya Pradesh, symbolizing the unity and oneness of India and embodying the teachings of Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy propagated the legendary reformist-philosopher. The statue, commissioned as the Icon of Unity and Oneness, stands at Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh and features an initial portrait created Vasudev Kamath, a talented artist from Sholapur, in 2018.
The unveiling of the statue was accompanied a massive public rally and processions known as Ekatma Yatra, which covered approximately 23,000 gram panchayats across the state. Throughout the Yatra, community participation played a vital role in collecting the required metal for the statue, exemplifying the power of public-private partnership.
During a conversation with Vithal C Nadkarni, a renowned senior editor and columnist, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reflected on the remarkable achievements of Adi Shankaracharya and his profound association with the state. Chouhan emphasized that Shankaracharya not only unified the region known as Bharat-varsha through his acclaimed philosophy of monism called Advaita Siddhanta but also established four spiritual mathas or monasteries strategically located in the four corners of India.
Chouhan stated, “This also highlights the timeless appeal of Acharya’s philosophy, for not only was the Master a child prodigy, but he walked on foot at a tender age throughout India for the cause of unity. He also brought various sects together introducing the worship of multiple deities on a single platform. He is therefore revered as the ‘Shanmata-Sthapanacharya’ or the Unifier of Six Creeds. His voluminous commentaries on the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita, as well as his mellifluous verses to the deities, remain authoritative even today.”
During Shankara’s time in the 9th century, there were six main sects, including those devoted to the Mother Goddess and the worship of Surya, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesh, and Skanda-Kartikeya. Shankaracharya, in his short life of 32 years, successfully united these sects and resolved cultural tensions. Today, Adi Shankara is revered across the country as the incarnation of Lord Shiva himself, known as the “Great Teacher” or Dakshinamurti.
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the first Vice President of India, discussed the cultural conflicts among sects during Shankara’s time and expressed the need for a genius who could reconcile these sects on the basis of truth without breaking their traditions.
The monumental achievement of Adi Shankaracharya in uniting the various sects of India onto a single platform for worship continues to resonate today. As Mahamohopadhyaya PV Kane stated in his celebrated work ‘History of Dharmashastras’, “In modern times, these five devatas are still worshipped, but they are differently arranged according as the worshipper places one or the other of the five in the center.”
The statue of Adi Shankaracharya serves as a reminder of India’s rich cultural heritage and the importance of unity and oneness in a diverse nation.
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