Rijiju shares PM Modi's words on Shiva shrines across India
Synopsis
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju shared a statement by PM Narendra Modi on 8 July 2026, quoting the Prime Minister's personal connections to three Shiva pilgrimage sites — Hatkeshwar Mahadev in Vadnagar, Somnath in Gujarat, and Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi.
Key Takeaways
Kiren Rijiju shared a statement by PM Narendra Modi on 8 July 2026 referencing three major Shiva shrines.
PM Modi cited Hatkeshwar Mahadev in Vadnagar, Gujarat — his birthplace — as his first spiritual connection.
Somnath Temple , the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas , is in Gujarat; Modi referenced his direct role in its development.
The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi , inaugurated in December 2021 , is linked to Modi's Lok Sabha constituency.
The central government's PRASAD scheme , launched in 2014-15 , has funded pilgrimage infrastructure at Jyotirlinga and other religious sites.
The post reflects the BJP's sustained practice of connecting individual political careers with heritage development at major temple sites.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, shared a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X, quoting him on his lifelong spiritual and political connection to three major Shiva pilgrimage sites across Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.
Context
The quoted statement, attributed to PM Modi, reads: 'Yeh mera saubhagya hai ki kahin na kahin mujhe Shivji ke saath judne ka avsar mil hi jaata hai' — 'It is my good fortune that I keep getting the opportunity to connect with Lord Shiva, one way or another.' Modi is quoted as identifying three distinct links: his birthplace, his development responsibilities, and his political constituency.
Modi was born in Vadnagar, a town in Mehsana district, Gujarat, where the ancient Hatkeshwar Mahadev temple stands as a prominent regional pilgrimage centre. He notes that the Somnath temple — the first among the twelve Jyotirlingas — also rests on Gujarat's soil, and that he bears direct responsibility for its development. He further cites the blessings of Kashi Vishwanath Mahadev in Varanasi, his political constituency.
Policy Backdrop
The Somnath Temple, located at Prabhas Patan in Gujarat, holds the distinction of being the foremost of the twelve Jyotirlingas — sacred shrines of Lord Shiva venerated across India. The central government has channelled significant resources into pilgrimage infrastructure since 2014, including through the PRASAD scheme (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive), which targets improved access, amenities, and heritage conservation at major religious sites.
The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, inaugurated in December 2021, is among the flagship outcomes of this policy thrust — expanding pilgrim access and modernising facilities around one of Hinduism's most sacred shrines. Varanasi has been Modi's Lok Sabha constituency since 2014, giving the corridor project both symbolic and political weight.
Stakeholders and Impact
The statement resonates with Hindu devotees and the broader pilgrimage tourism sector, which has seen rising footfall at Jyotirlinga sites following infrastructure upgrades. Somnath and Kashi Vishwanath together draw millions of pilgrims annually, and development works at both sites have generated local employment and hospitality growth.
For BJP leaders, publicly articulating personal connections to major Shiva shrines has become a recurring mode of cultural communication, linking individual biography to national heritage policy. Minister Rijiju's decision to amplify this statement underscores the party's broader messaging around religious tourism and civilisational continuity.
What's Next
Further phases of infrastructure development at both Somnath and Kashi Vishwanath are expected to remain on the government's agenda, with potential references to pilgrimage-site funding in upcoming parliamentary sessions. The continued elevation of Jyotirlinga sites in political communication suggests that temple corridor projects will remain a visible plank of the ruling party's cultural governance narrative heading into future electoral cycles.
Point of View
Not merely a pious aside — it binds the Prime Minister's biography, governance record, and political base into a single spiritual narrative. The three shrines named span Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, the two states most central to the BJP's electoral arithmetic, making the geography of the statement as purposeful as its theology. This pattern — senior ministers publicly echoing the Prime Minister's religious biography — has become a routine feature of BJP communication strategy since 2014, reinforcing the party's self-positioning as the steward of Hindu civilisational heritage. As Somnath and Kashi Vishwanath corridor works continue, such statements are likely to intensify ahead of electoral cycles.
NationPress
8 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did PM Modi say about Shiva temples that Kiren Rijiju shared?
PM Modi said it is his good fortune to remain connected to Lord Shiva through three sites: the Hatkeshwar Mahadev temple in his birthplace Vadnagar, the Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gujarat where he has direct development responsibility, and the Kashi Vishwanath temple in his political constituency Varanasi.
What is the Hatkeshwar Mahadev temple in Vadnagar?
Hatkeshwar Mahadev is an ancient Shiva temple in Vadnagar, Mehsana district, Gujarat — the birthplace of PM Narendra Modi — and is regarded as a major regional pilgrimage centre.
Which is the first Jyotirlinga among the twelve?
Somnath, located at Prabhas Patan in Gujarat, is traditionally regarded as the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas — the most sacred Shiva shrines in Hinduism.
What is the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and when was it inaugurated?
The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor is a major infrastructure project in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, designed to expand pilgrim access and modernise facilities around the Kashi Vishwanath temple; it was inaugurated in December 2021.
What is the PRASAD scheme for pilgrimage sites in India?
The PRASAD scheme — Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive — was launched in 2014-15 by the central government to develop infrastructure, amenities, and heritage conservation at major religious and pilgrimage sites across India, including Jyotirlinga shrines.
