Parshuram statue installed in Sambhal

Sambhal: A statue of Lord Parshuram was installed at the Shankar Inter College crossing here on Monday amid chanting of Vedic hymns, members of the organising committee said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had unveiled the foundation plaque for the statue on August 7 in Bahjoi. The crossing echoed with slogans hailing Lord Parshuram during the ceremony. Known as the guru of Lord Kalki, the incarnation of Vishnu, Parshuram is revered in the region, and the installation of his statue is being seen as a step towards the cultural revival of Sambhal.

The event was attended by Juna Akhara’s international general secretary Karnpuri Maharaj, BJP’s western UP vice-president Rajesh Singhal, Vishva Hindu Parishad district president Anant Agrawal, and hundreds of devotees.

Rajkumar Gupta, who was closely associated with the installation, said the four-foot-tall statue is made of brass, weighs around 150 kilograms, and was built at a cost of over Rs 3 lakh.