C’garh: Shah attends first “Samadhi Smriti Mahotsav” of Jain sant Vidyasagar, unveils commemorative coin

Mr Shah who flew to Dongargarh in Rajnandgaon district after landing at Raipur airport from Delhi also participated in a ‘Shanti Mahayagya’, held on the occasion, an official release said.

The Union minister released a commemorative coin of Rs 100, a special postal envelope of Rs five, 108 footprints and a portrait of the Jain saint on the occasion.

He also laid the foundation stone of the proposed Samadhi Smarak “Vidyayatan”.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai was also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Shah described the Jain saint as a visionary who ushered a new ideology and a new era.

“Acharya Guruvar Shri Vidyasagar Ji Maharaj propagated Indian culture, Indian languages, Indian identity and the country as a whole like a ‘Jyotirdhar’ through his deeds”, he said, according to the official press release.

Mr Shah said that it is very rare for a religious saint to have worked towards propagation of the national identity along with the interpretation of the religion across the world.

“Acharya Vidyasagar Ji’s life was dedicated to religion, culture and to the nation”, he said.

The Union minister said that he had the privilege of meeting the Jain saint many times.

The Jain saint always emphasized on promotion and preservation of Indian languages, spread of Indian glory and identity globally, and that our nation should be preferably called ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’.

By writing “Prime Minister of Bharat” on the invitation card of the G-20 Summit, PM Mr Modi put the ideas of the Jain saint into action, he said.