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‘World’s first’ Netaji temple comes up in Kashi to ‘prepare patriots’
The ‘world’s first temple’ dedicated to freedom-fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose came up in Varanasi on Thursday on the Indian National Army (INA) leader’s 123rd
The ‘world’s first temple’ dedicated to freedom-fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose came up in Varanasi on Thursday on the Indian National Army (INA) leader’s 123rd birth anniversary with the aim of ‘preparing patriots’.
Prof Rajiv Srivastava, who got the shrine built, said, “This is the only temple of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in the world. It has a six-foot-high black granite statue of Netaji under an 11-foot-high gold-coated canopy. Arti of Bharat Mata will be recited daily. This temple will be a source of inspiration for every person in the country to work together to make the India which Netaji dreamed of.”
Srivastava, who teaches history at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) also runs the non-government organisation Vishal Bharat Sansthan, which will look after the open-air shrine situated on the premises of Subhash Bhawan at Lamahi that is also famous as the birthplace of legendary Hindi litterateur Munshi Premchand.
Srivastava said Randhir Kumar and a young woman Khushi Raman were appointed as the first priests at the temple.
Senior Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) leader Indresh Kumar, who inaugurated the temple, said, “Followers of Netaji are present across the world. He sacrificed his whole life in the service of Mother India. The temple will be a source of inspiration for countrymen. During their visit to Kashi, which is known as the city of temples, people can now have darshan of Netaji too here.”.
The temple will open at 7am daily and close in the evening.
Giving more details, Srivastava said, “While the statue is made of black granite, the temple stairs are red and the platform white. Red is symbol of revolution and white of peace. Without revolution, there cannot be peace. Black is symbol of power. Gold generates positive energy.”
“A visit to the temple of Netaji will awaken spirit of patriotism. If pregnant woman pay a visit to the temple and do darshan, patriotic children will be born,” Srivastava said.
“The country needs communal harmony which can come from the ideas of Netaji only. At the temple, Subhash Chandra Bose will be remembered daily, not only on his birth anniversary,” he added.
Khushi Raman, one of the priests, said, “It is a matter of great fortune that I have been given responsibility to serve as priest in the temple of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. This temple will prepare patriots.”
Randhir Kumar, the other priest, said, “I am lucky that I have been entrusted with the responsibility of serving as a priest at the temple.”
Srivastava said the temple would be expanded in future, adding that he chose Lamahi because it was well-known for its association with Munshi Premchand.
Currently, Subhash Bhawan hosts seminars and meetings to spread the ideas of Bose.
