Gurudeva statue in New Delhi

The Kerala government's allocation of Rs one crore in the budget for the installation of a statue in reverence to Sree Narayana Guru can be considered as the first step towards fulfilling the long-standing demand of Gurudeva's devotees. Apart from this, Rs 5 crore has also been allocated in the budget itself for the completion of the pilgrimage Platinum Jubilee Memorial Convention Centre for Sivagiri Mutt. The assistance provided by the government for any initiative related to Gurudeva will be beneficial for the overall welfare and renewal of humanity. Gurudeva's philosophy of life was to consider all sections of people equally without any division. He also realised that the power and energy filled every inch of the universe and called it knowledge.

"We are not the body but the knowledge", the statement made by Guru will come to life and spread throughout the nation when the statue gets erected in the national capital. World leaders and other ordinary visitors in Delhi should be able to reach, pray and spend some time in peace at the place. The premises and cultural centre where the Guru statue will be installed should be designed in a way that allows all amenities for the visitors. Since the required space is available in the Travancore House premises in Delhi, it is appropriate to give priority to this location. Before taking a final decision in this regard, the government should consult with the Sree Narayana movements in Delhi and the Sivagiri Mutt.

It is also necessary to consider setting up a special chair in the cultural centre for studying and teaching the works of Gurudeva. The messages of the Guru have timeless relevance. The English translations of Gurudeva's works in Sanskrit, Malayalam and Tamil are now available. The establishment of a reading room and cultural centre equipped with all these materials will be useful for the new generation and those visiting the country for a closer look at Gurudeva's contributions to humanity. The government should also pay close attention to deciding the sculptor of Gurudeva's statue. Gurudeva's statue was first installed in the Thalassery Jagannath Temple during his lifetime. The statue was made by the famous Italian sculptor Tavaroli.

It remains one of the best statues of the Guru to date. The statue was officially unveiled in the temple premises in 1297 by Bodhananda Swami. It is also recorded that Guru jokingly said after viewing the statue, "It does not need food or water; it will live."

The government should take extra care to make sure the work doesn’t end awry or disfigured. The Kerala government should also hold consultations with the Central government in this regard. If the Central government is ready to provide another suitable place free of charge, the state government should also consider it. It is a fact that money was allocated for the statue by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan in his first budget itself; there is no doubt about blessings coming the government’s way in the coming times.