A Decade of Dharma: Cultural Renaissance in the Modi Era

In January 2024, as the sun rose over the holy city of Ayodhya, a prayer whispered for centuries finally found its voice. The Pran Pratishtaof Shri Ram in his Ram Mandir was not just a religious milestone-it was a moment of civilizational redemption. After centuries of invasion, colonial distortion, and political delay, the temple stood tall-etched in sandstone, echoing with mantras, and pulsing with history. It wasn't just about architecture; it was about the healing of a wounded soul. The return of Shri Ram to his birthplace rekindled the spirit of a nation that had long carried the silence of exile in its heart.

- ■GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT

A few months prior, another symbol of India's ancient spirit quietly returned to its rightful place. During the inauguration of the new Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi installed the Sengol-a sacred scepter presented to Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947 by Tamil Adheenams to mark the dharmic transfer of power. For decades, it had been forgotten, mislabeled, and dismissed as a walking stick. Its restoration was not just an act of remembrance-it was a powerful declaration that India would no longer view itself through borrowed eyes. The Sengol represented rule anchored in righteousness, not relics of empire-a decisive embrace of India's own statecraft and spiritual traditions, long overlooked in a postcolonial order.

Together, these moments signaled a deeper cultural resurgence-a civilisational stirring that would unfold across eleven transformative years.

From the outset in 2014, it was clear that under the Modi Government, culture would no longer be ornamental-it would be foundational. International Yoga Day, first observed in 2015, saw millions across the globe celebrate an ancient Indian practice that fuses body, mind, and spirit. Yoga was not just a wellness routine-it became India's greatest cultural export of the past few years.