 "Hanuman Lok in Chhindwara")
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday announced the Hanuman Lok project in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara, a stronghold of former chief minister Kamal Nath and home to a 101-foot statue of Lord Hanuman constructed by the Congress leader.
The chief minister also participated in the foundation stone-laying ceremony for Hanuman Lok at Jamsavli Hanuman temple in Chhindwara.
According to officials, the project would be developed along the lines of the Mahakal Lok corridor. It will be built in two phases and is estimated to cost Rs 314 crore.
"Hanuman Lok will become a centre of spiritual and cultural consciousness for India… With the blessings of Lord Ram, Hanuman Lok is being established in Chhindwara district. I am fully confident that just like Mahakal Lok, Hanuman Lok will also emerge as a centre of faith for millions of devotees. I pray for the blessings of Lord Hanuman for all residents of the state," Chief Minister Chouhan was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
Madhya Pradesh government's Hanuman Lok project
In the first courtyard of Hanuman Lok, Lord Hanuman's child form would be depicted in different ways through artwork and sculptures covering an area of about 90,000 square feet.
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The second courtyard would see the portrayal of Lord Hanuman in 'devotional form' through sculptures and artwork covering an area of around 62,000 square feet.
According to officials, the main entrance would be inspired by Maratha architecture, and a 500-foot Chiranjivi Path is proposed from the temple.
The corridor would also include an administrative area comprising offices in over 37,000 square feet and an Ayurvedic clinic covering around 5,000 square feet.
Developmental projects launched in Chhindwara
Chouhan further announced multiple development projects in the Congress stronghold, including the inauguration of the Machagora Group Water Supply Scheme, estimated to cost more than Rs 848 crore. The project aims to provide water to 711 villages across seven development blocks of the district.
The chief minister also announced the establishment of a college and auditorium and inauguration of 35 new development projects worth more than Rs 1,178 crore.
Thirty additional projects, worth more than Rs 258 crore, were also announced.
Congress reacts to Hanuman Lok project
Reacting to the Hanuman Lok project announcement, the Congress party said it was a false announcement to mislead the people.
Congress spokesperson KK Mishra said: "No matter how much the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tries to surround Kamal Nath politically, they will fail."
It should be noted that Kamal Nath frequently mentions the 101-foot Hanuman statue in his speeches, and his image as a devotee of Lord Hanuman has been used by the Congress to counter the BJP's Hindutva poll plank.
Slamming the Chouhan-led government in Madhya Pradesh, Mishra said though the chief minister had announced Rs 22 crore for the restoration of Jamsavli Hanuman Temple's dilapidated door in October 2016, "not a single penny has been spent even after more than seven years".
