Source : INDIATV NEWS
A book titled Sanskriti Ka Paanchva Adhyay, featuring 34 of PM Narendra Modi’s speeches on Indian culture, traditions, and heritage, was released on World Heritage Day in Delhi. The compilation spans a decade of speeches, from the 2015 Independence Day address to an event in Varanasi in 2024.
A new book compiling 34 speeches by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Indian culture, traditions and heritage was released in the capital on Friday, coinciding with World Heritage Day. Titled ‘Sanskriti Ka Paanchva Adhyay’, the book features curated addresses delivered by the Prime Minister over the past decade, touching upon sacred sites, civilisational values and India’s spiritual legacy. It was launched at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) by Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Pujya Swami Avdheshanand Giri Maharaj of the Juna Akhara, in the presence of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh. The book has been published by Prabhat Prakashan.
The compilation begins with Modi’s 2015 Independence Day speech from the Red Fort and concludes with his address at the inauguration of the R J Shankar Eye Hospital in Varanasi in October 2024. The speeches span a wide cultural canvas, ranging from the redevelopment of Kedarnath and Kashi Vishwanath Dham to events like the Global Buddhist Conference, the launch of Bhagavad Gita editions, and commemorations of saints and reformers.
In a statement, IGNCA said the speeches reflect the Prime Minister’s effort to “identify the Indianness in various religious traditions.” An appendix in the book includes reflections by Acharya Shri Pragya Sagar Ji Maharaj and Shankaracharya Shri Shankar Vijayendra Saraswati Swami Ji of Kanchi Kamakoti, both affirming Modi’s cultural vision.
‘Promotes pride in India’s civilisational heritage’
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, speaking at the event, described the book as rich in material that fosters pride in India’s civilisational heritage. “After 2014, we began speaking of Indian culture and ‘sanatan’ values with confidence. That’s a major shift, and this book reflects that transformation,” he said. He also invoked the ongoing Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal period, saying, “The PM resolved to make a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, a vision that took shape after 2014.”
IGNCA Member Secretary Sachchidanand Joshi underscored Modi’s recurring theme of “Virasat bhi, Vikas bhi”—heritage along with development. IGNCA Chairman Ram Bahadur Rai, who wrote the book’s foreword, described it as “an invitation to a cultural journey” in the Modi era. “If we are searching for the keyboard to the supercomputer of Indian culture, that quest begins and ends with this book,” he wrote.
(With inputs from PTI)
