Hold weddings at Statue of Unity, 'Sardar Sahab' will give blessings; India offers numerous magnificent venues: PM Modi

Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], May 11 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged citizens to abandon the growing trend of destination weddings abroad to reduce the expenditure of foreign currency amid economic pressure from the West Asia conflict.

He proposed a unique alternative, suggesting that citizens should look toward the Statue of Unity as a premier location for their nuptials to receive the "blessings" of the first Deputy Prime Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

"The moment the holidays begin, children are handed tickets to go abroad. The trend nowadays is to travel overseasoften for destination weddings. There are many people here who do not send me invitations anymore; they used to send them in the past because they would hold their weddings abroad, but now they are stopping that practice. This trend of destination weddings abroad is growing rapidly; however, consider the fact that this entails a significant expenditure of foreign currency."

Highlighting the cultural and spiritual value of local venues, PM Modi stated, "For weddings, India offers numerous magnificent venues; we should choose from among them. In Gujarat, I would say this: you should now make it a point to hold your weddings right at the Statue of Unity. At every single one of your weddings held there, Sardar Sahab himself will be present to shower you with his abundant blessings. I urge you to establish a dedicated venue for weddings right there at the Statue of Unity"

The Prime Minister emphasised the importance of teaching the next generation to take pride in their heritage rather than seeking prestige in foreign lands.

"Ask yourselves: are there no places within India where we can spend our vacations, where we can teach our children about our history, where we can take pride in our own local sites. It is essential that we celebrate our vacations right here in India; furthermoreeven when it comes to weddingsI do not believe there could be any place more beautiful or sacred for us than our own India," he said.

The PM reiterated his appeal to help navigate the economic challenges due to the geopolitical tensions in West Asia, calling for people to take collective responsibility for reducing the burden on the nation's resources.

He highlighted the gravity of the West Asia conflict by terming it "one of the major crises of this decade".

Calling for collective efforts to reduce imports, he said, "There is a need for all of us to come together and fulfil our responsibility to reduce the burden on the country's resources. India spends lakhs of crores of rupees in foreign exchange to import many products from abroad. At the same time, the prices of imported goods are soaring, and global supply chains have also been severely disrupted. Just as every drop fills a pot, every small and big effort matters. We must reduce the use of products that come from abroad and avoid unnecessary dependence on imported goods in our daily lives, and also avoid such personal activities that involve spending foreign exchange."

PM Modi stressed that his government is working to ensure minimum disruption to citizens' lives amid global crises.

"If the COVID pandemic was the biggest crisis of this century, then the circumstances created by the war in West Asia are one of the major crises of this decade. When we together overcame the challenge of COVID, we will surely get through this crisis as well. The government is also continuously making efforts to ensure that its impact on the people of the country is minimal," he said.

"Over the past few years, the world has been continuously passing through unstable circumstances. First, the crisis of COVID, then global economic challenges, and now the rising tensions in West Asia. The impact of all these situations is continuously falling on the entire world, and India is not untouched by it either," he added.

He further said that until things return to normal, small yet meaningful steps would contribute to the nation's interest.

"A major share of India's imports comes from crude oil. Unfortunately, the very region that supplies oil to a large part of the world is currently caught in a situation of conflict and instability. Therefore, until conditions return to normal, all of us will have to take small yet meaningful resolutions in our daily lives for the larger interest of the nation."

He urged citizens to cut down on petrol and diesel consumption by adopting public transport, electric buses, and carpooling. Furthermore, he encouraged working from home and reducing gold purchases to help lower India's import burden.

The conflict between US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other started on February 28. US and Iran have been observing a "shaky" ceasefire since March 7. The conflict has caused disruptions in global energy supply chains.

PM Modi had made a similar appeal in his speech in Telangana on Sunday.

During the event, Prime Minister Modi was conferred with 'Sardar Gaurav Ratna' award.

He also said that the results from West Bengal, Assam, and Puducherry have created an atmosphere of enthusiasm across the entire country.

He said the results of the local body and Panchayat elections in Gujarat have also been magnificent.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi participated in the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav at Somnath Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and a symbol of India's enduring faith and civilisational heritage.

Somnath Amrut Mahotsav marks 75 years since the inauguration of the restored Temple.

As part of the celebrations, the Prime Minister participated in a series of auspicious religious and cultural events.

He participated in the Vishesh Maha Puja, followed by the Kumbhabhishek and Dhvajarohan ceremonies, marking the consecration rituals and hoisting of the temple flag.

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