Panchmahal (Gujarat): Highlighting the country’s spiritual and cultural heritage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that New India is living its ancient identity along with its modern aspirations and is proud of its heritage.

Addressing at the inauguration of the redeveloped temple of Shree Kalika Mata at Pavagadh Hill, PM Modi said, “Today the spiritual and cultural glory of India is being restored. Today New India is proudly living its ancient identity along with its modern aspirations.”

PM Modi inaugurated the redeveloped Kalika Mata temple atop the Pavagadh hill in the Panchmahal district on Saturday. He hoisted the temple flag after performing pooja at the temple. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel was also present with the Prime Minister at the occasion.

Speaking at the occasion, PM Modi said, “Today, after centuries, the flag is once again hoisted on the top of the Pavagadh temple. This flag at the top is not only a symbol of our faith and spirituality! This flag also symbolizes that despite changes in centuries and eras, the faith remains eternal. Today the spiritual and cultural glory of India is being restored. Today New India is living its ancient identity along with its modern aspirations and taking pride in its heritage.”

“In Pavagadh, there is spirituality, history, nature, art and culture. Here on one side, there is the Shaktipeeth of Maa Mahakali, and on the other side, there is a heritage of Jain temple. That is, Pavagadh has in a way been a centre of all-religion equanimity with India’s historical diversity,” he said.

PM Modi said Gujarat contributed to India’s freedom and its development.

“At independence, we were blighted by slavery and injustice, we fought against it. India’s cultural freedom was led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as he redeveloped Somnath temple and laid the foundation for India’s development,” he added.

According to the Gujarat information department, after the ascent of Pavagadh in the fifteenth century, the peak of the temple was dilapidated for the last five centuries. The summit has now been redesigned with a new look.

First, the foundation of a large campus was laid by widening the top of Pavagadh Hill, then ancillary facilities were erected on the first and second floors of the campus. The original sanctum has been kept intact and the entire temple has been rebuilt. The main temple and the open area have been widened.

“In the old temple of Mataji where there was a dargah in place of the ‘Shikhar’. The dargah has been relocated in an amicable settlement and a new ‘Shikhar’ has been constructed, on which the flagpole has been restored and the flag will be unfurled there,” added the official statement.

Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Modi met his mother Heeraben Modi at her residence in Gandhinagar on her 100th birthday.

Taking to Twitter he said, “Took blessings of my mother today as she enters her 100th year.”