Chhindwara’s Kamal Nath could match the best in building idols

he traditional logic of temples being a BJP domain end about 20 kilometres before the Chhindwara town where a 101.8-foot Hanuman statue greets you. It is among the tallest Lord Hanuman statues in the country, and is built by Congress leader and nine-time Parliament member Kamal Nath.
“This statue is taller than the one at Chattarpur in Delhi by 8 inches. I got this temple ready in three years out of my devotion for Lord Hanuman,” Nath told ET.

Every time he does a tour of his constituency in a chopper, Nath makes it a point to do an aerial parikarma of the statue. On April 1, spiritual guru Morari Bapu, who has spoken in the past praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will also be in Chhindwara on Kamal Nath’s invitation to do a special satsang on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti. Morari Bapu will visit Nath’s residence in Chhindwara before the day-long satsang in the town’s polo ground. Nath is personally supervising the arrangements. He had got bhajan artist Anup Jalota to Chhindwara on last Hanuman Jayanti.

Bapu’s visit is interesting as ahead of the recent assembly elections in Gujarat, Morari Bapu had asked his supporters to be alert when they make their choice in the elections for “it is not often that a country gets a leader who looked at dharma (righteous conduct) while ruling”.

Bapu, in 2015, had chided then Congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela for mocking Modi over his breaking into tears, while talking about his mother's hardships. “Who will not become teary-eyed while remembering his mother? Being in the Opposition does not mean one has to oppose everything. It seems Congress leaders do not respect sentiments,” Bapu had said in a public discourse. In 2012, Bapu had said no one could question Modi’s patriotism.

Locals in Chhindwara say Nath has built a number of temples in the town and they expect Congress president Rahul Gandhi to visit the Hanuman Temple when he begins his campaigning in Madhya Pradesh for the assembly elections later this year. Though the BJP holds more assembly seats than the Congress under the Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency, the local MP, Nath, has a cult following here with development activity higher than any other part of the state.

There are almost a dozen modern skill-training centres here that have trained thousands of youth, while three active call centres provide employment to many. Other developments include a ring road all around the city, a modern railway station with a direct train to Delhi and four-lane highways leading into all directions.