A new spiritual landmark is taking shape in the southernmost corner of Gujarat. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel attended the khatmuhurt (foundation-laying ceremony) of a Trimandir to be built at Nandavala village in Valsad district on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, joining spiritual leader Pujya Shri Deepakbhai and a congregation of mahatmas and mumukshus — seekers on the path of self-realisation.

Writing in Gujarati, CM Patel described receiving the blessings of Deepakbhai and expressed his heartfelt wish that the Trimandir — inspired by the teachings of Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan — would become 'a centre of spiritual consciousness, equanimity, and supreme peace.' He extended warm wishes to all the mahatmas and volunteers involved in this punyakary (sacred endeavour), closing with the Akram Vignan salutation: Jai Satchidanand.

The Akram Vignan tradition behind the Trimandir

The Trimandir concept is rooted in the Akram Vignan spiritual path founded by Ambalal Muljibhai Patel, known universally as Dada Bhagwan (1908–1988). His movement centres on direct self-realisation — the recognition that 'I am pure soul' — without years of ritual penance. The tradition is notably non-sectarian, and its temples, called Trimandirs, enshrine deities across Hindu traditions as a symbol of universal spiritual harmony.

Deepakbhai, who continues Dada Bhagwan's lineage, has overseen the expansion of Trimandir complexes across India and abroad. The Nandavala project in Valsad adds to that network, planted in a district that already carries deep religious and cultural significance along Gujarat's southern coastal belt bordering Maharashtra.

Gujarat's chief ministers and the foundation-ceremony tradition

CM Patel's attendance is consistent with a long-standing practice among Gujarat's political leadership of participating in religious and community foundation events across faith traditions — a form of outreach that bridges governance and civil society. Valsad, home to significant tribal communities and diverse religious sites, fits naturally into this pattern.

The state has in recent years invested in spiritual tourism corridors, and events like this khatmuhurt carry both community and soft-infrastructure significance. Whether the Nandavala Trimandir project draws formal state support in its construction phase will be watched closely by both devotees and local administrators.

For now, a foundation stone is set — and with it, the aspiration that a town in Gujarat's deep south becomes a quiet node of inter-faith calm.