Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 February inaugurated the Sudarshan Setu, the Signature Bridge between Okha and Beyt in the pilgrimage site of Dwarka. Sudarshan Setu is India’s longest cable-stayed bridge of around 2.32 km. During the inauguration, Prime Minister Modi was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
Top Points Of Sudarshan Setu
- Signature Bridge boasts a unique design, featuring a footpath adorned with verses from the Bhagavad Gita and images of Lord Krishna on both sides.
- It also holds the distinction of being India’s longest cable-stayed bridge, with solar panels installed on the upper portions of the footpath, generating one megawatt of electricity.
- The 2.5 km bridge is being built at a cost of ₹978 crore and holds immense significance for both local residents and pilgrims visiting the revered Dwarkadhish Temple.
- The bridge connects Okha mainland and Beyt Dwarka in Gujarat.
- .Beyt Dwarka is an island near Okha port which is approximately 30 km from Dwarka town, where the famous Dwarkadhish temple of Lord Krishna is situated.
It Will eradicate the old route to Beyt, Dwarka
Initiated by the Centre in 2017 with a groundbreaking ceremony, the bridge aims to simplify access for devotees commuting between Okha and Bet Dwarka. Before its construction, pilgrims had to rely on boat transport to reach the Dwarkadhish Temple in Beyt, Dwarka.
‘Lord Krishna Wrote It In My Destiny’ – PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sudarshan Setu was destined to be constructed through his hands because Lord Krishna made it possible. As the chief minister of Gujarat, Modi kept his proposal for Sudarshan Setu to the Congress in the Centre but they paid no heed, Narendra Modi said as he took a journey down memory lane after offering prayers at the ancient site of Dwarka.
Narendra Modi said many old memories visited him as he took a dip in the Arabian Sea to do a ‘darshan’ of the Dwarka City. One such, as he recollected, was his visit to Russia’s Astrakhan which is a sister city of Gujarat state.