AHMEDABAD, October 17, 2026 – Union Home Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for an imposing 81-foot-tall statue of Lord Shiva at the Varadayini Mata Temple in Rupal, Gandhinagar district, on Friday. The ceremony took place during the Home Minister’s visit to his home state of Gujarat.
According to a release from the BJP’s Gandhinagar Lok Sabha media department, Shah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Gandhinagar, visited the renowned temple, offered his prayers, and officially performed the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the grand statue.
Continuing his spiritual itinerary during the auspicious ongoing Sharadiya Navratri festival, the Home Minister, accompanied by his family, later visited the Bahucharaji Mata Temple in Mansa. There, he offered prayers and participated in the evening ‘aarti’ on the sixth day of the festival.
Earlier in the day, Shah visited the Prerna Tirth Jain Derasar located in the Satellite area of Ahmedabad to seek the blessings of the revered spiritual leader, Gachchhadhipati Pujya Nar Ratna Surishwarji Maharaj. He followed this with a visit to the Shri Vishwanandikar Jain Sangh in the Paldi area to meet and seek blessings from another prominent spiritual leader, Gachchhadhipati Pujya Uday Ratna Surishwarji Maharaj Saheb. During these visits, Shah expressed his deep respect for the profound spiritual values of Jainism and its long-standing tradition of saints.
Concluding a spiritually rich day, the BJP leader was scheduled to participate in a vibrant garba event organized by the Navratri Yuvak Mandal in the Kolavada area of Gandhinagar on Friday night, fully immersing himself in the local Navratri festivities.
Published by True Roots Media Network