Religious Centre To Come Up At Parshuram's Birthplace In Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for 'Parshuram Lok', a religious centre, at Janapav Kuti in Indore district.

The project is estimated to cost Rs 10.32 crore.

Janapav Kuti, about 50 km from Indore, is considered by Hindu devotees to be the birthplace of Lord Parshuram.

Mr Chouhan said on the occasion that a pond, auditorium, multipurpose hall, meditation cottages and herbal garden among other things will be constructed as part of the project.

"The country is run by the Constitution, but religion is our base," he added.

The BJP government will also create separate "Lokas" associated with Hindu deities along with basic works of roads, electricity, water, education and health, he said.

Notably, Madhya Pradesh would be going to the polls this year.

During the function, the chief minister unveiled an idol of Parshuram and also dedicated other development works at Janapav Kuti.

He also announced the Rs 1,094 crore Maheshwar-Janapav Lift Micro Irrigation Project.

Under this project, the water of Narmada river will be drawn from Maheshwar through electric pumps and supplied to villages through pipelines, Mr Chouhan said.

While irrigation under the project will cost Rs 4.16 lakh per hectare, water tax would be recovered from beneficiary farmers only at a nominal rate, the Chief Minister said.

Congress governments in the state failed to take the Narmada's water to remote places, he said. "The Congress' only job is to abuse the BJP day and night," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)