Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unveiled a 77-foot-tall bronze statue of Lord Ram at Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Math in Goa’s Canacona as part of the mutt's 550th-year celebrations.
The statue, reportedly the world’s tallest statue of Lord Ram, has been created by renowned sculptor Ram Sutar, who also designed the Statue of Unity in Gujarat.
According to reports, various programmes are being held from November 27 to December 7 to mark 550 years of the mutt’s tradition. The mutt, located in Partagal village in Canacona (South Goa district), was established 370 years ago.
An estimated 7,000–10,000 visitors are expected at the mutt premises each day during the celebrations.
Before unveiling the statue, PM Modi visited Karnataka’s Udupi, where he held a roadshow after addressing the Laksha Kantha Gita Parayana programme at the Sri Krishna Matha.
During his visit to Udupi, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Suvarna Teertha Mantapa situated in front of the Krishna sanctum and unveiled the Kanaka Kavacha, a golden covering for the Kanakana Kindi, the sacred window through which saint Kanakadasa is believed to have had a divine vision of Lord Krishna.
At the event, Modi praised the good governance legacy of the BJP’s predecessor, the Jan Sangh, after joining one lakh devotees in reciting verses from the Bhagavad Gita during the Laksha Kantha Gita Parayana at Sri Krishna Matha.
He recited the Bhagavad Gita along with more than a lakh participants, including students, monks, scholars, and people from various walks of life.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister fondly remembered the contributions of VS Acharya in Udupi. He said his visit held special significance, describing the town as the “karmabhoomi” of the Jan Sangh and the BJP’s governance model.
He recalled how, in 1968, Udupi elected Jana Sangh leader VS Acharya to the municipal corporation, laying the foundation for a new administrative framework. The cleanliness model seen today, he noted, was adopted by Udupi five decades ago, along with early advancements in water supply and drainage systems in the 1970s.
PM Modi added that the collective recitation of Bhagavad Gita shlokas by one lakh people showcased India’s spiritual strength to the world.
