Home Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of a grand 108 feet tall statue of Lord Shri Ram in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district through video conferencing on Sunday.

The grand statue will come up at a cost of more than Rs 500 crore over a sprawling 10 acres in Mantralayam village situated on the banks of the historic Tungabhadra river where the famous Vijayanagar Empire originated.

In his address on the occasion, Amit Shah said that the grand statue of Lord Shri Ram would “give the message of our Sanatan Dharma to the entire world for many ages and will strengthen the Vaishnava tradition in the country and the world.”

Shah said, “108 is a very sacred number in our Hindu culture.”

The Home Minister said that this project would be completed in two and a half years. He pointed out that Mantralayam village is very famous for the temple of Raghavendra Swamy.

“This place has historical significance. The great Vijayanagara Empire originated on the banks of the Tungabhadra river, it restored Swadesh and Swadharma by driving out the invaders from the entire South,” he observed.

He also said that under the Mantralayam Das Sahitya Prakalp, many initiatives like housing, Anna Daanam, Pran Daanam, Vidya Daanam, drinking water and cow protection have been taken.”

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has paved the way for the construction of Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya by laying the foundation stone which was pending since many years. Now, Soon the idol of Ramlala will be installed in Shri Ram temple and after hundreds of years once again Lord Shri Ram will be at his own place,” the Home Minister further stated.