Saying that Punjab’s security is India’s security, Kanchi Shankaracharya Sri Vijeyandra Saraswati asked for a revival of the state’s cultural and spiritual heritage and that revival of Punjab is not just a regional issue but one that is deeply embedded in India’s civilisational identity and national security. Given to a conference in New Delhi, the seer explained how he would set up a temple, a trust and a research centre in Punjab to protect and reinforce the ancient culture and the historical relationship between Sikhs and followers of Sanatana Dharma.
The announcement was made at a programme organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) where Shankaracharya shared the stage with senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi and VHP International President Alok Kumar. The proposed initiative will be done through the newly registered Kanchi Kamakoti Punjabi Dharmashala Dharmavidya Trust to engage with the study of Punjab's spiritual heritage, to ensure that religious institutions are not neglected and to gain an understanding of the state’s past and cultural heritage.
Punjab's historical significance, he said, was the sacred land of the ‘Panch Nadis’ (five rivers), and associated it with Lord Panchanadiswara. We must revive such identity and preserve that identity for future generations, he said, and Punjab’s spiritual traditions have been a big part of the history of India.
The seer also expressed concern about the “cultural infiltration” and the slow erosion of ancient traditions and warned that these are long-term challenges to India’s civilisational fabric. He said these matters cannot be solved in a short term through politics but rather as a long-term project through temple institutions, cultural organisations and education.
The Shankaracharya said the suffering experienced by Hindus during that period should never be forgotten. He said preserving civilisational memory is the key to ensuring that such tragedies never happen again. Culture and religion are also the basis of national unity and social harmony, he said.
The newly established Kanchi Kamakoti Punjabi Dharmashala Dharmavidya Trust will be the institution for these aims. Along with the construction of a temple and research centre in Punjab, the trust will also be involved in the documentation of old traditions in the state, scholarly research and the formation of a cultural link between Sikhs and those of Sanatana Dharma. The Shankaracharya also called on other civil society members, industrialists and philanthropists to contribute to the construction of temples and support efforts to save the spiritual heritage of Punjab.
In addition to Punjab, the Shankaracharya outlined a programme for the revival of temples, Vedic education and dharmic institutions in India. He said there are also going to be several big religious events coming up in the coming months: a large Sindhi community gathering in Kanchipuram will be organized later this year, for instance. He said they would be a celebration of shared cultural traditions and a reflection of India's spiritual heritage from all over the country.
The seer also called for temple resources to be utilised more effectively for the preservation and promotion of Sanatana Dharma. Temple wealth should be allocated for Vedic education, training priests, continuing religious scholarship and expanding outreach programmes that help maintain India's ancient knowledge systems.
As a measure of our efforts to promote Vedic learning, the Shankaracharya said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has already allocated ₹18 crore for Vedic propagation. The programme will be offered to more than 700 Vedic scholars and Veda Pathis will be accorded an honorarium of ₹22,000 per month. More than 1,500 Vedic scholars will be formally honored as part of the programme and it will be part of a larger drive to promote traditional education.
He also proposed a nationwide model for temple restoration in collaboration with the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. Old temples, in border areas and in Jammu and Kashmir in particular, would be identified and revived to maintain their historical and religious significance.
The Shankaracharya’s words place Punjab at the center of a wider conversation about India’s cultural heritage, integration and religious institutions. Through temple restoration, academic research, Vedic education and community engagement, the proposed measures would work together to cement the historical ties to the past and preserve India’s civilisational heritage for the next generation.
