President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said there is a fragrance of 'Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat' in the new Parliament building which also carries the consciousness of India's civilisation and culture.
In her first address in the grand new Parliament building, she also underlined that the year 2023 saw the closure of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, as well moments of achievements for India as two iconic sites in the country were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
This new building has been built at the threshold of India's 'Amrit Kaal', Murmu said.
"There is a fragrance of 'Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat' here, and it also carries the consciousness of India's civilisation and culture. This also has the pledge to honour democratic and cultural traditions, and a resolve to build new traditions of new India of 21st century," she said.
The year gone by has been full of historic achievements, the President noted.
The Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav came to an end. After 75 years, unsung freedom fighters and their contributions were recalled by the country, and youths relived the era of the freedom struggle, she said.
Under the Utsav, the 'Meri Maati Mera Desh' campaign was run and 'Amrit Kalash' were brought to Delhi carrying soil from different parts of the country, Murmu said.
More than two lakh 'Shilaphalakams' (plaques) were established during this campaign while more than three crore people took the 'Panch Pran' pledge and showcased their dedication towards the nation.
Over 70,000 Amrit Sarovars were built and more than two lakh Amrit Vatikas were created, and over two crore saplings were planted across the country, she said.
A statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was installed here during the Amrit Utsav while a museum dedicated to all prime ministers was opened in Delhi, Murmu added.
In 2023, Santiniketan and Hoysala temples earned the UNESCO World Heritage Site tags.
Santiniketan, the famed place in West Bengal where poet Rabindranath Tagore built Visva-Bharati over a century ago, received the coveted tag in September 2023.
'Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala', the Hoysala temples of Belur, Halebid and Somnathapura in Karnataka, were also inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The President also noted that the martyrdom of sahibzade of the Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, is commemorated as Veer Bal Diwas.
On January 9, 2022, the day of the Prakash Purab of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that December 26 would be observed as 'Veer Bal Diwas', to mark the martyrdom of the guru's sons - Sahibzadas Baba Zorawar Singh Ji and Baba Fateh Singh Ji.
Murmu, in her address, also said that Birsa Munda's anniversary is being celebrated as 'Janhatiya Gaurav Diwas', and August 14 had been marked as 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.
"I am fully assured that in this new building (of Parliament), there will be fruitful discussions on policies which will help build a Viksit Bharat in Amrit Kaal," she said.
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