Jammu, February 18 – In a historic moment for Jammu and Kashmir, Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha laid the foundation for the Shankaracharya Temple, located on the hills adjacent to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in the Reasi district.
Officials stated that after six decades of waiting, Jammu and Kashmir finally witnessed the foundation-laying ceremony for the Shri Shankaracharya Temple.
The concept for the construction of the Shri Shankaracharya Temple was originally conceived in 1967. In 2025, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was executed between the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) and the concerned landowners.
The landowners have agreed to donate 41 Kanals of land for the creation of a motorable track and visitor amenities such as toilets and water points at the Shankaracharya Temple. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has proposed the construction of the Shri Shankaracharya Temple, along with the access track, associated public utilities, and 50 commercial shops for the landowners, at a total estimated cost of Rs. 31.51 crore.
The Shri Shankaracharya Temple will nourish the spiritual lives of billions of devotees while simultaneously driving significant regional economic activity.
The SMVDSB will ensure that this spiritual center remains vibrant and alive, prioritizing the welfare of devotees while also contributing to the prosperity of the local communities that sustain it.
"This is a moment that will live permanently in our hearts and in the pages of history," said the locals.
Since taking over as the Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and the ex officio chairman of the MVDSB, Manoj Sinha has been making significant contributions to the development of historic religious and cultural sites that have a bearing on the long and cherished eclectic, co-existential background of the union territory.
In addition to reconstruction, restoration, and upliftment of Hindu religious sites, Manoj Sinha is also keenly ensuring the simultaneous care, development, and upliftment of Muslim and Sikh religious sites in Jammu and Kashmir.