Amit Shah to lay foundation stone for 81-foot Shiva statue in Gandhinagar today
Synopsis
Home Minister Amit Shah is set to lay the foundation stone for an 81-foot Shiva statue in Gandhinagar's Rupal during Navratri — capping a day-long Gujarat schedule that spans meetings with Jain religious leaders, a temple aarti in Mansa, and a Raas Garba event in Kolwada. The visit follows his September railway inauguration in Ahmedabad worth ₹1,472 crore.
Key Takeaways
Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone for an 81-foot Shiva statue at Shaktipeeth Shri Varadayini Mataji Temple , Rupal, Gandhinagar at 6 pm on Friday .
The visit includes meetings with two Jain religious leaders in Ahmedabad at 2:45 pm and 3:15 pm .
Shah will attend aarti at Bahuchar Mata Temple in Mansa at 7:30 pm and a Raas Garba event in Kolwada at 9:30 pm .
The engagements coincide with the Navratri festival, when large religious gatherings are held across Gujarat.
Shah's previous Gujarat visit on 27 September saw him inaugurate railway projects worth ₹1,472 crore , including India's first LNG-powered train .
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone for an 81-foot statue of Lord Shiva at the Shaktipeeth Shri Varadayini Mataji Temple in the Rupal area of Gandhinagar on Friday, 17 October 2025, as part of a packed schedule of religious and cultural engagements across Gujarat. The ceremony is set for 6 pm and coincides with the ongoing Navratri festival, one of the most widely observed religious periods in the state.
Full Itinerary Across Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar
According to his official schedule, Shah will begin his Gujarat visit at 2:45 pm with a meeting with Gachchhadhipati Param Pujya Nar Ratna Surishwar Ji Maharaj at Prerna Tirth in Ahmedabad's Satellite area. He will then proceed to Shri Vishwa Jain Sangh in Paldi at 3:15 pm to meet Gachchhadhipati Param Pujya Udayprabha Surishwar Ji Maharaj.
The foundation-laying ceremony for the proposed 81-foot Shiva statue is scheduled at 6 pm at the Shaktipeeth Shri Varadayini Mataji Temple in Gandhinagar's Rupal. Shah will also offer prayers at the temple complex, government officials confirmed.
Evening Programmes in Mansa and Kolwada
After the foundation stone ceremony, Shah will travel to Mansa, where he is scheduled to attend the aarti at Bahuchar Mata Temple at 7:30 pm. His final engagement of the day is a Raas Garba programme organised by Navratri Yuvak Mandal at Shri Ramji Temple in Navratri Chowk, Kolwada, scheduled for 9:30 pm.
The visits to Jain religious leaders, Hindu temples, and a traditional garba event reflect the multi-community cultural character of Shah's Gujarat engagements during the Navratri season.
Context: Shah's Recent Gujarat Visit
This is not Shah's first Gujarat appearance in recent weeks. On 27 September, he visited Sabarmati railway station in Ahmedabad alongside Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, where he inaugurated and flagged off railway development projects worth ₹1,472 crore. During that visit, he flagged off the country's first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered train, inaugurated a WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed, commissioned automatic signalling systems, and launched the indigenous Kavach train protection system on selected routes.
Significance During Navratri
The timing of Shah's visit during Navratri — when religious gatherings, garba events, and temple programmes draw massive participation across Gujarat — underscores the political and cultural significance of such engagements in the home state of both Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 81-foot Shiva statue, once completed, is expected to become a prominent religious landmark in the Gandhinagar region.
How quickly the statue project progresses from foundation to completion will be closely watched, given the scale of the undertaking at the Shaktipeeth complex.
Point of View
Or whether, like several such grand religious infrastructure announcements, it remains at the foundation-stone stage for years. The ₹1,472 crore railway visit in September showed Shah can deliver hard infrastructure; the Rupal statue will test whether soft religious infrastructure follows with equal urgency.
NationPress
16 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where will Amit Shah lay the foundation stone for the Shiva statue?
Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone at the Shaktipeeth Shri Varadayini Mataji Temple in the Rupal area of Gandhinagar, Gujarat, at 6 pm on Friday. The proposed statue of Lord Shiva is planned to stand 81 feet tall.
What is Amit Shah's full schedule in Gujarat on Friday?
Shah's itinerary begins at 2:45 pm with a visit to a Jain religious leader in Ahmedabad's Satellite area, followed by another meeting in Paldi at 3:15 pm. He then heads to Gandhinagar's Rupal for the 6 pm foundation-stone ceremony, attends aarti at Bahuchar Mata Temple in Mansa at 7:30 pm, and concludes with a Raas Garba event in Kolwada at 9:30 pm.
Why is Amit Shah visiting Gujarat during Navratri?
The visit coincides with Navratri, one of the most widely observed festival periods in Gujarat, when religious gatherings and traditional garba events are held across the state. Shah's presence at temple ceremonies and cultural programmes during this period is part of a series of engagements in his home state.
What did Amit Shah inaugurate in Gujarat in September 2025?
On 27 September, Shah inaugurated railway development projects worth ₹1,472 crore at Sabarmati railway station in Ahmedabad. He flagged off India's first LNG-powered train, inaugurated a WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed, commissioned automatic signalling systems, and launched the Kavach train protection system on selected routes.
How tall will the Shiva statue at Rupal be?
The proposed statue of Lord Shiva at the Shaktipeeth Shri Varadayini Mataji Temple in Rupal, Gandhinagar, is planned to stand 81 feet tall. The foundation stone is being laid by Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday, 17 October 2025.
