Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurates the state-of-the-art Archaeological Experiential Museum, Prerna Complex, and Vadnagar Sports Complex in Vadnagar, Gujarat

Ministry of Home Affairs

Posted On: 16 JAN 2025 6:47PM by PIB Delhi

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, today inaugurated the Archaeological Experiential Museum, Prerna Complex, and Sports Complex in Vadnagar, Gujarat. Shri Amit Shah also presided over the Heritage Complex Development Plan, Urban Road Development, and Beautification Program in Vadnagar. On this occasion, a film on the journey of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was also released. The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Union Minister of Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel.

In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said, today the entire world is following the footsteps of India’s Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, and this program is also taking place at Modi Ji’s birthplace. He said that today’s program is significant in many ways as it will prominently place Vadnagar on the map of the country and the world. He further stated that Vadnagar is one of the oldest cities in the world, which, due to its continuity and vibrancy, has influenced the culture and traditions of every era. He said that Vadnagar’s journey spans thousands of years and evidences suggest that it is over 2,500 years old.

Shri Amit Shah said that people must visit this Archaeological Experiential Museum and Excavation Complex because there is no other museum in the world where history and excavation coexist in such a unique manner. Shri Shah stated that this museum, built at a cost of approximately ₹300 crore as envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has not only placed Vadnagar but also the culture of Gujarat and the entire country on the world map.  He said that the museum builders have brought alive more than 2500 years old journey of Vadnagar in the museum building and the excavation site. Shri Shah added that this museum not only showcases the antiquity of Vadnagar but also highlights the contributions of its culture, trade, urban planning, education, and governance during various periods of its history.

The Union Home Minister said that today the Prerna Complex has also been formally inaugurated, and the school where Prime Minister Modi got primary education, is now welcoming children from across the country to learn and walk on the path shown by him. He stated that this Prerna Sankul will, in the future, contribute to the creation of many such great individuals. Shri Shah also mentioned the inauguration of the sports complex today. He added that Prime Minister Modi has set a goal for the 2036 Olympics to be held in Ahmedabad, and by then, the children of Vadnagar will be ready to participate in those games.

Shri Amit Shah said that the culture and history of Vadnagar are very ancient, and here, eternal ascetics have engaged in various forms of penance, meditation, and the pursuit of knowledge. He mentioned that Jain ascetics created numerous Jain Agamas-Nigamas and practiced austerities here. He also stated that it is believed that the first public reading of the Jain scripture Kalpasutra, which was traditionally read only by ascetics, took place here. He added that this place was also a Buddhist monastery, and many Buddhist monks came here to quench their thirst for knowledge. He emphasized that this place has been a center for the worship of three great religions, and the entire journey of Vadnagar, from Skanda Purana to Chamatkarpur, Anartpur, Anandpur, and Vadnagar, is depicted in this museum with illustrations.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation stated that the Panch Pran pledge propounded by Prime Minister Modi, which, among others, incorporates taking pride in our heritage, is part of his vision for the nation. He mentioned that Prime Minister Modi has given this message of Panch Pran to the youth of the country so that they are able to shed all signs of colonialism and are inspired to feel the pride in our heritage, thus empowering them to shape the future based on modernity. He said that through this museum, the pride in our heritage and the eradication of the remnants of slavery is becoming a reality. Shri Shah further explained that this museum preserves the layers of our economic, spiritual, social, moral, physical, and cultural development, which will point to India’s cultural, political, administrative journey and urban planning over Vadnagar’s 2,500-year history. He added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, we are bringing back our lost heritage. He mentioned that, under Modi’s leadership, nearly 350 artworks, including the statue of Mahishasura Mardini, which was stolen from Gujarat, have been brought back to India.

Shri Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has worked to carry forward the legacy of Swami Dayanand Ji, Mahatma Gandhi, and Sardar Patel with equal grandeur and vigor. He stated that PM Modi has made Vadnagar and Gujarat famous across the country and the world. He further added that Modi Ji’s entire life, from his childhood spent in Vadnagar to becoming the Prime Minister of the country and a global leader, will become the subject for many students to study from India and around the world in the coming days.

Shri Shah said that it is impossible to describe the entire life of Shri Narendra Modi Ji in a single speech. He said, the journey of Modi Ji, from being a child born into a poor family in Vadnagar to becoming a global leader guiding the entire world, is indescribable and cannot be captured in words. He mentioned that Narendra Modi Ji, who spent his childhood in extreme poverty as the son of a tea-seller father and a poor mother, grew up without holding any bitterness. Modi Ji has served the country in such a way that no other child in the country will have to endure the poverty that he endured during his childhood.

The Union Home Minister stated that Prime Minister Modi transformed the poverty he faced in his life into compassion and worked towards the welfare of the poor across the country with a great vision. He added that Modi Ji has also worked to fulfill the needs of millions of people. Shri Shah emphasized that being born into such adverse conditions and thinking of the welfare of society without harboring any bitterness is a quality that can only come from a divinely gifted, and talented individual like Narendra Modi, the son of Vadnagar. He mentioned that Modi Ji faced many challenges in his own education during his childhood, and from that point onward, and as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he placed great importance on primary education. Shri Shah said that Modi Ji launched an initiative in Gujarat called ‘Kanya Kelavani Yatra’ to educate both boys and girls. He further shared that when Modi Ji became the Chief Minister of Gujarat, the state’s dropout ratio was 37 per cent, but by the time he became the Prime Minister of the country, the dropout ratio was hardly one per cent.

Shri Amit Shah said that Shri Narendra Modi Ji traveled across Gujarat to understand the problems of the people and, after becoming the Chief Minister of the state, worked towards solving all those issues. He stated that Modi Ji envisioned an organization-based party in Gujarat. He further mentioned that Modi Ji introduced a new approach to gaining popularity, not based on caste, personality, or dynastic politics, but on ideology and development. Shri Shah highlighted that while politics across the country was mired by nepotism, Shri Narendra Modi worked to replace it with the ‘Politics of Performance’. He added that in Gujarat, Modi Ji created a model of inclusive and comprehensive development, ensuring that no region or individual in the state was left behind. He pointed out that Modi Ji implemented several schemes in Gujarat such as Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojana, Sagar Khedu Kalyan Yojana, 24-hour electricity supply, road networks, infrastructure, solar energy initiatives, structured urban and rural development, and a complete education system. He stated that this model became widely recognized and accepted across the country as the “Gujarat Model,” which is why Modi Ji got elevation as the Prime Minister of the country from Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Modi Ji’s speeches on cultural nationalism and revival mesmerized millions of people. He mentioned that during Modi Ji’s tenure, the dream of building a grand temple for Lord Ram Lalla was fulfilled. He further stated that the son of Gujarat, on August 5, 2019, abrogated Article 370 and worked towards making Kashmir an integral part of India. He highlighted that injustice was being done to Muslim sisters through triple talaq, and Modi Ji took action to end it. He also said that Modi Ji established secularism by implementing the Common Civil Code. Shri Shah pointed out that due to Modi Ji’s firm resolve and continuous campaigns against terrorism and Naxalism, both these issues are now nearing their end in the country. He added that due to the strong security policy, surgical and air strikes were conducted, sending a clear message to the world that no one can meddle with our country’s army and borders, or they will face severe consequences. He concluded by mentioning that Modi Ji worked towards strengthening the economy by building a well-equipped army, promoting welfare for the poor, rural development, and making agriculture a strong pillar of the economy.

Shri Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Modi established the Ministry of Cooperation for employment generation and rural development, encouraged startups, and used technology to directly deliver governance to the homes of the poor. He highlighted that the use of technology for public welfare, through DBT, Digital India, Aadhaar cards, and online banking, has enabled Modi Ji to place India ahead of the world in an astonishing way. He further mentioned that Modi Ji created millions of jobs through the ‘Make in India’ initiative and turned India into a manufacturing hub.

Shri Shah pointed out that Modi Ji revitalized not only yoga and Ayurveda but also all of India’s languages. He emphasized that Modi Ji advanced the welfare of tribal communities, backward classes, and Dalits, and empowered women by ensuring 33% reservation for them in the legislature and Parliament, giving them a significant role in policymaking. He noted that a strong foreign policy emerged during Modi Ji’s tenure, stating that India does not wish to advance by either intimidating others or bowing its own head. He concluded that Prime Minister Modi Ji has established a new tradition in foreign policy, one that focuses on engaging in dialogue with other nations based on equality and mutual respect.

The Union Home Minister stated that 500 years from now, when the history of Vadnagar will be written, it will undoubtedly be remembered as the birthplace of many great thinkers, including Modi Ji. He said that it is the vision of Prime Minister Modi that has led to preservation of the 2,500-year journey of Vadnagar in the form of a museum, presenting it to the world. Shri Shah emphasized that this museum will play a significant role in putting Vadnagar’s history on the global map, and that Prime Minister Modi Ji’s dedication and karmayoga will make Vadnagar a center of curiosity, knowledge, and practice for people across the world in the future.

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