On the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today unveiled a 108 ft statue of Lord Hanuman at Morbi in Gujarat via video conferencing.

Greeting the devotees on the occasion, he said the dedication of the statue is a happy occasion for the devotees of Hanuman Ji all over the world.

He expressed happiness on being in the midst of devotees and spiritual leaders several occasions in recent times.

The PM said that the project of establishing four such statues in the four corners of the country is a reflection of the resolve of ‘Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat’. He explained that Hanuman Ji unites everyone with his service spirit and everyone gets inspiration from him. “Hanuman Ji is that symbol of strength which got forest-dwelling communities dignity and empowerment. Hanuman ji is a key thread of EK Bharat Shresth Bharat”, he added.

Modi elaborated that Ram Katha that is organised all over the country in various localities and languages, binds everyone as one in devotion to God. This, Modi stressed, is the strength of India’s spiritual heritage, culture and tradition that kept separate parts united even during the difficult period of slavery.

This strengthened the unified efforts of the national pledge for independence. “In the face of the vicissitudes of thousands of years, our civilisation and culture have played a big role in keeping India steadfast”, The PM observed.

He said; “Our faith and the stream of our culture is of harmony, equality and inclusion”. This is best reflected in the fact that Lord Ram, despite being fully capable, harnessed everyone’s strength to complete his tasks. “Ram Katha is the best example of SabkaSaath–SabkaPrayas and Hanuman ji is a key part of this”, Modi said invoking the same spirit of SabkaPrayas for the fulfilment of resolve.

The statue unveiled today is the second of the 4 statues being set up in the four directions across the country, as part of the “Hanumanji4dham” project. It has been set up in the west, at the Ashram of Param PujyaBapuKeshvanand Ji in Morbi.

The first statue of the series was set up in the north in Shimla in 2010. Work on the statue in the south at Rameswaram has already started.