Last Updated: October 16, 2026
Last Updated: October 16, 2026
Gandhinagar: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone for an 81-foot-tall statue of Lord Shiva at the Shaktipeeth Shri Varadayini Mataji Temple in Rupal, Gandhinagar, on Friday as part of his visit to Gujarat.
Shah’s schedule includes visits to Jain religious leaders in Ahmedabad, prayers at temples in Gandhinagar and Mansa, and participation in a traditional Raas Garba programme in Kolvada. Government officials said the engagements will take place across Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar during the day and evening.
According to the itinerary, Shah will first meet Gachchhadhipati Param Pujya Nar Ratna Surishwar Ji Maharaj at Prerna Tirth in Ahmedabad’s Satellite area at 2:45 pm. At 3:15 pm, he is scheduled to meet Gachchhadhipati Param Pujya Udayprabha Surishwar Ji Maharaj at Shri Vishwa Jain Sangh in Paldi.
Shiva Statue Foundation Ceremony at 6 pm
The foundation-laying ceremony for the proposed 81-foot statue of Lord Shiva will take place at 6 pm at the Shaktipeeth Shri Varadayini Mataji Temple in Rupal, Gandhinagar. Shah will also offer prayers at the temple complex.
His programme will then move to Mansa, where he is scheduled to attend the evening aarti at Bahuchar Mata Temple at 7:30 pm.
At 9:30 pm, the Union Minister will attend a Raas Garba programme organised by Navratri Yuvak Mandal at Shri Ramji Temple in Navratri Chowk, Kolvada.
The visit includes religious engagements with Jain leaders, temple prayers and participation in a traditional cultural event during the Navratri period, when garba celebrations and religious gatherings take place across Gujarat.
Shah’s Previous Gujarat Visit
Shah last visited Gujarat on September 27, when he inaugurated and launched railway development projects worth Rs 1,472 crore at Sabarmati railway station in Ahmedabad alongside Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
During that visit, he flagged off the country’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered train and inaugurated a maintenance shed for WAG-12 locomotives. He also inaugurated railway infrastructure works, including automatic signalling systems, and launched the deployment of the indigenous Kavach train protection system on selected routes.
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