Lucknow, May 14 (UNI) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday hailed Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar as the very personification of dharma, justice and national duty, and credited her with pioneering the revival of India's Sanatan heritage.

At a ceremony marking her 300th birth anniversary in Lucknow’s Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, the CM recalled that during an era marked by foreign invasions and widespread temple destruction, Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar courageously undertook the restoration of sacred sites from Kashi to Rameshwaram.

He said, "In doing so, she embodied the Vedic principle 'Dharma rakṣati rakṣitaḥ' (dharma protects those who protect it".

He said her legacy should inspire every citizen to contribute to the revival of India’s ancient cultural glory.

Quoting Ahilyabai's own words, 'My path is the path of dharma; the path of dharma is the path of justice, and only justice can make us powerful and capable', Yogi said that this credo shaped both her statesmanship and her service. "The present-day splendour of the Kashi Vishwanath temple rests on the foundations she laid between 1777 and 1780 with her resources, work that Prime Minister Narendra Modi described in 2021 as the forerunner of the modern Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor," he said.

He said, "Ahilyabai's efforts stretched far beyond Kashi. She rebuilt and renovated Kedarnath, Rameshwaram, Somnath, Haridwar, Mahishmati and numerous other holy sites, while commissioning ghats, wells, and step-wells to ensure pilgrims' comfort and access to pure water."

Celebrating her as an enduring symbol of Nari Shakti, the CM highlighted her dharma-aligned, people-centric administration and her trail-blazing work in social justice and women's empowerment. "She promoted the sari industry in Mahishmati to foster women’s self-reliance, encouraged widow remarriage and moved to end child marriage, measures that remain exemplary today," he said.

Drawing a parallel with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's post-Independence restoration of Somnath, he said Ahilyabai had sown the same seeds of cultural resurgence centuries earlier. He also invoked Adi Shankaracharya's four peethas as proof of India’s enduring cultural unity.

He said that under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, monumental projects in Kashi, Ayodhya, Ujjain, and Maa Vindhyavasini Dham carry forward this legacy. "Let us take inspiration from Maharani Ahilyabai's life and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to restoring India’s timeless splendour and the vitality of Sanatan culture," he said.

Yogi described the recently concluded Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj as a remarkable testament to India's cultural consciousness and administrative excellence. He said this grand confluence is a continuation of the legacy initiated by Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar, which continues to inspire the present generation.

He said, "On this sacred occasion, devotees of Sanatan culture from across India and beyond 100 countries came together to take a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam. They embarked on pilgrimages to revered sites such as Kashi Vishwanath, Ayodhya, Chitrakoot and Naimisharanya.

He said that the ongoing renovation and revival of these spiritual centres are crucial in restoring the timeless glory of Sanatan Dharma.

The CM emphasised that the double-engine government is implementing numerous schemes to empower women and foster self-reliance. "Schemes like the Lakhpati Didi Yojana, launched under the leadership of the PM, have empowered over one crore women across the country," he said.

He said, "Similarly, initiatives such as the Kanya Sumangala Yojana, Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivaah Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana are providing women, from the grassroots to national platforms, with opportunities to demonstrate their abilities, whether in village panchayats, households or on the nation's frontiers."

Yogi said that paying tribute to the legacy of Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar is not merely a historical duty but a profound opportunity to revive the spirit of Sanatan Dharma, Indian values and national reconstruction. He hoped this cultural awakening would guide India toward becoming a global leader.

UNI AB BD