A new tussle started between the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, VK Saxena and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the inauguration of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprasth University in East Delhi.

Delhi education minister, Atishi had announced the inauguration of the university by the Delhi CM which prompted the Delhi LG to issue a statement saying, “Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal himself was aware of the fact that the L-G was scheduled to inaugurate the campus. In fact, they were also aware that they were supposed to be present in the function as Guest of Honour and distinguished guest, as desired by the L-G and had also consented to it.”

“Moreover, even on the day when Atishi made this claim in a press conference, i.e. 06.06.2023, earlier during the day, the VC of GGSIPU had announced on stage at the Convocation of GGSIPU, where Atishi was present as a Guest of Honour, that the East Campus of the University was scheduled to be inaugurated by the Lt. Governor on 08.06.2023,” it added.  

Reacting to this Delhi education minister, Atishi said that the L-G should not forget that education, higher education and technical education are all transferred subjects.

Even Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj reacted to this, saying that the L-G should focus on inauguration of buildings which come under Police, Land and Public order.

“The construction of this campus started when he (VK Saxena) was not the L-G. Manish Sisodia started this work and our elected government took it further. It is strange now for the L-G to say that he was asked by officials to inaugurate the university campus,” Bhardwaj said.

“At this rate, the L-G could say tomorrow that he would inaugurate Saurabh Bhardwaj’s office. That’s why L-G has kept all officers under his control and wants to keep it going. The CM is the one vested with the moral authority to inaugurate the campus. Such thoughts should not even come to the L-G’s mind,” he added.

Tensions have been rising between the Delhi L-G and Delhi CM for the past few years over various matters. Notably, in May this year a Supreme Court judgement had ruled that the Delhi government had powers over civil services in the Delhi after which the Centre had brought in an ordinance regarding civil services giving more power to the L-G, creating more friction between the two posts.

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A closer look at the second-largest Hindu temple in the world

World

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Reading time: 2 min.

The BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey is now the largest Hindu temple in USA and the second largest Hindu temple across the globe after the Angkor Wat in Cambodia which is a 12th century Hindu temple spread across 500 acres and is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The magnificent ‘Mahamandir’ is dedicated to Bhagwan Swaminarayan, a revered Hindu spiritual leader from the 19th century and was built on the inspiration of his 5th spiritual successor, the esteemed saint Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham’s construction started back in 2015 and this Mahamandir spans across 185 acres and is a collective creation of expertise of more than 12,500 volunteers hailing from various parts of North America. The temple is finally scheduled to be inaugurated on the 8th of October 2023.

The temple design includes one main shrine, 12 sub-shrines, nine shikhars (spire-like structures), and nine pyramidal shikhars. Akshardham houses the largest elliptical dome of traditional stone architecture ever constructed. It is designed to last a thousand years. The stone used in the construction was sourced from Europe and sent to India where it underwent intricate craftsmanship. These stones pieces were then brought to the United States where an assembly of diverse volunteers, under the guidance of volunteer artisans from India, came together to work on the temple.

At the top the ‘Mahamandir’ is adorned with a golden pot or a kalash , symbolising a sense of wholeness and excellence, above which will be the flag which symbolises victory and prevalence of good over evil. The temple also has the Brahma Kund, a traditional Indian stepwell containing water from over 300 bodies of water from around the world, including the holy rivers of India and all 50 states of the US.

“Our spiritual leader (Pramukh Swami Maharaj) had a vision that in the Western hemisphere there should be a place which can be a place for all people of the world, not only for Hindus, not only for Indians, not only for certain groups of people; it should be for all of the world where people can come and learn some values, universal values based in Hindu tradition,” Swami Aksharvatsaldas from BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha told PTI in an exclusive interview. “It was his wish, and it was his Sankalp (pledge). According to his Sankalp, this Akshardham has been built with traditional Hindu temple architecture,” he said.

The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha has till date constructed approximately 1,400 temples across various locations including India, the UK, US, Canada, Kenya, South Africa, and Australia. With the construction of the Akshardham temple, they are looking to break their own previous achievements.

TheDaniPostTeam
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