Spirituality

Jammu launches heritage centre honouring mystic poet Lalleshwari

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha laid the foundation stone of the Mata Lalleshwari Cultural and Heritage Centre at Mata Bhaderkali Asthapan, Thalwal, Jammu, the Kashmir Monitor reports.

The project, sanctioned under the Capex budget with an allocation of Rs 4.5 crore, is meant to preserve and promote the legacy of Yogini Lalleshwari, according to the Kashmir Monitor and Greater Kashmir.

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Plans for the centre's programs and fellowships#

Sinha indicated that the planned facility would feature displays of cultural materials, programs to translate important texts, and spaces to preserve documents, while also supporting scholarships focused on Kashmir Shaivism, a philosophical and devotional tradition tied to the region, the Kashmir Monitor reports.

He said the centre would give scholars, artists and seekers a chance to engage with Lalleshwari's teachings and spread them through modern platforms, and that it would offer youth opportunities to develop their talents via creative pursuits while building community cohesion and strengthening bonds across the nation, according to the Kashmir Monitor.

Greater Kashmir quoted Sinha calling the centre a project that "reminds us of our timeless civilisational consciousness," and reported his description of it as a living repository of Lalleshwari's philosophy meant to reconnect society with its roots and contribute to grassroots economic activity.

Other heritage and pilgrimage projects launched the same week#

At Purmandal, Sinha said restoration would employ contemporary preservation methods alongside heritage-based design principles on temples including the old Lakshmi Narayan Temple, the old Shiva Temple and the old Ram Temple, and said improved infrastructure would create links for pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi, Shiv Khori, the Raghunath Temple and Baba Amarnath, according to the Daily Excelsior.

On September 19, Sinha flagged off the Harmukh-Gangbal pilgrimage at Ganderbal, telling the gathering it is "a living expression of this immortal faith" and citing the Nilamata Purana's description of Mount Harmukh as the abode of Lord Shiva and Gangbal Lake, at 14,500 feet, as the sacred presence of Mother Ganga, Hindustan Times reports.

A stated aim of attracting tourism and revenue#

Sinha said cultural and heritage centres provide moral direction alongside economic development, and that the Lalleshwari centre would give society spiritual resources for mental peace while drawing seekers, historians and tourists to boost local economic activity, according to the Kashmir Monitor.

He said the project aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of blending cultural preservation with economic progress and would represent India's cultural heritage, the Kashmir Monitor reports.

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