BHOPAL: The newest mainstay of the BJP’s Hindutva agenda in Madhya Pradesh, where polls are due the year-end, appears to be the idea of Mandir Loks (temple corridors). Emboldened by the success of Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor in Varanasi and the Mahakal Lok Corridor in Ujjain, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has over the last 3 months, announced building not one but six temple corridors in various parts of the state.
He started off on January 23, by announcing Ram Raja Lok -- a temple corridor in Orchha town of Niwari district, which is famous as MP’s Ayodhya, for housing the revered shrine of Lord Ram Raja. The same day, he announced a Vanvasi Ram Corridor in Chitrakoot town of Satna district. The BJP’s longest-serving CM further announced building Salkanpur Devi Lok Corridor in Salkanpur town of his home district Sehore, which houses the famous Goddess Durga Temple.
Just a few weeks later, Chouhan made another announcement of building Hanuman Lok in Jam Savli area of Chhindwara district, which houses the famous temple of Lord Hanuman. The move was seen among political circles as one aimed to counter the soft Hindutva agenda of state Congress president Kamal Nath (a sworn Hanuman devotee) in his poll borough Chhindwara.
Over the last three days, the CM has announced two more temple corridors, including Bhagwan Parashurama Lok on the Janapav mountain (believed to be Parashurama’s birthplace) in Indore and Mai Pitambara Lok in Datia.
The Datia temple is dedicated to one of the ten Mahavidhyas or Tantra Goddesses. The CM during the chariot trek of the Goddess on Monday evening announced the construction of corridor. Datia is the assembly constituency of state’s home minister Narottam Mishra.
The opposition Congress calls such announcements hollow. However, the CM said on Tuesday, “Linking the announcements with elections is completely wrong. Was the Mahakal Lok Phase-I unveiled last year during the poll season? The new temple corridors will be the ideal spots for spreading to the world the message of India’s cultural reawakening.”
State BJP sources said the Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor announcement, only two months before the UP polls in 2022, and the Mahakal Lok opening in October that year have boosted tourism and business immensely.
“The official figures indicate that the average daily footfall in Kashi and Ujjain, after opening of the two temple corridors has jumped by at least five times,” said a senior MP BJP leader. Ujjain-based senior political analyst Yogesh Kulmi said the Mahakal Lok has boosted retail trade in Ujjain.