President inaugurates CG Shashwat Dham

Dumkauli, Nawalparasi, Mar. 7: President Bidya Devi Bhandari inaugurated the Shashwat Dham at the CG Industrial Complex, Dumkauli, in Devchuli municipality of Nawalparasi district Tuesday.

The Dham, developed by the Chaudhury Group, is a multi-discipline centre that includes an artistic temple of South Indian architectural design, meditation centre, Vedic school, cow-shed, museum, a dusdwara (ten doors) structure and other cultural and religious attractions.

President Bhandari expressed her belief that the Dham would contribute to developing the area both in terms of religion and culture.

She urged the people of all faiths to work for a harmonious and peaceful society and respect each other’s faiths.

Founding Trustee of the Dham Binod Kumar Chaudhury said that the religious and spiritual complex was designed as a destination for the people of all faiths.

"The Dham offers meditation facilities, Vedic education and has a manuscript resource centre. A Vedic school, Gurukul, has been started and 30 students are studying there," he said.

He said that the country had very few priests and spiritual gurus.

According to Chaudhury, Swami Sankaracharya Jayandra Saraswati of Kanchi Peeth had motivated him to build the Dham, while help of the head priest of Pashupatinath Baburam Risal and spiritual guru Sri Ravi Shankar was instrumental in materialising the dream.

He said that the forced religious conversion was contributing to the destruction of local culture and religion in Nepal.

The stone-laying ceremony of the Dham was held in 1999.

President of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Kamal Thapa said that there had been increased aggression on our religion and culture, and urged all to be aware of it and work to preserve them.

Ravi Shankar said that he wanted to see the Dham as a place where people could come to feel spirituality.

On the occasion, the Chaudhury Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian company Jaypur Foods to establish a disability centre in Kathmandu.

Under the corporate social responsibility project of the group, people who have lost their hands and legs will be provided artificial limbs.

Chaudhury and DK Mehta signed the MoU on behalf of CG and Jaypur Foods respectively.

Former king Gyanendra, various religious leaders, lawmakers of the district, international religious gurus, businessmen and thousand of other dignitaries and local people attended the inaugurating ceremony of the Dham.