On July 9, the Madhya Pradesh High Court stayed the construction of the Adi Shankaracharya statue that is to be built on Mandhata Parvat hill facing the river Narmada at Omkareshwar in Khandwa district. Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan had approved the 108-feet high statue.
The stay came during a petition hearing filed by Lokhit Abhiyan Samiti, an Indore-based NGO. The organization opposed the construction on the grounds of cutting up trees, digging up the mountain, and neglecting local public faith. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Vishal Mishra of MP High Court stayed the construction and sought a response from the BJP-led state government.
The petitioner argued that the statue named the ‘Statue of Oneness,’ would damage the natural beauty of the area. The court has also summoned the Collector of Khandwa district, DFO, Revenue officer, and representative of the State Archeological Department.
A museum dedicated to Adi Shankaracharya and an International Advaita Vendanta Sansthan is also scheduled to be built along with the statue. The cost of the project is Rs 2,141 crores. It is being constructed under the supervision of the Culture and Tourism Department, Madhya Pradesh.
The court has now ordered that till the next hearing, no construction work should take place at the site. The statue, being built at the cost of 2000 Crores, was scheduled to be finished in 2023.
