Battle of 'Bhakts': CM Shivraj Initiates Grand Shri Hanuman Lok Project in Kamal Nath's Bastion Chhindwara

Calling himself a “Hanuman Bhakt”, Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath had years ago got one of India’s tallest statues of the deity installed in his stronghold of Chhindwara. Now, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is laying the foundation stone of his big project, Shri Hanuman Lok in the same district.

Ahead of the year-end Madhya Pradesh elections, both the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress are trying to endear themselves to the Hindu voters. Kamal Nath recently said there was no need for a debate on calling India a “Hindu Rashtra” since the majority population was Hindu.

CM Shivraj is in Chhindwara on Thursday, now praying to Lord Hanuman here as well. There exists an ancient Hanuman temple in Sanwali village in the district near the confluence of two rivers, which is much revered by devotees.

What’s planned

The Shri Hanuman Lok will come up near this ancient temple on 26.50 acres of land and the cost of the first phase of this project will be Rs 35 crore, followed by phase 2. The blueprint of the project accessed by News18 shows there will be many statues and figures of Lord Hanuman, including a sculpture of his child form in the first courtyard. A 500-metre-long Chiranjeevi path will lead from the entrance. Painting and artwork will be done over about 90,000 square feet.

In the second courtyard, Lord Hanuman will be depicted in the form of idols and works of art and this will be developed in about 62,000 square feet. The main entrance is inspired by the Marathwada architecture. A Muktakash Manch is also being set up, which will be an open-air theatre spread over 12,000 sq ft for Ramlila and other religious events. There will also be the development of a Sanjivani Path for circumambulation of the holy Ramtekri mountain here.

Other facilities

Administrative offices, ticket counters, control rooms, an ayurvedic dispensary, shops, and food courts will come up the Shri Hanuman Lok along with landscaping for the seating of the devotees and for other religious functions. A laboratory, Pravachan Hall, open interpretation centre, waterfront pathway and sitting area, restaurant, gaushala, and ghat on Jam river will come up here in the second phase.

The Jam Sanwali Hanuman Temple is considered a miraculous shrine by devotees who take home the water coming out of the idol here as it is believed to be holy.