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 Pratishtha of 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.

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, mislabelled, 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 post-colonial order.

Together, these moments signalled 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.

Revival of traditional knowledge systems was given institutional force through the Ministry of AYUSH, which elevated Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy to national and global platforms. In parallel, the government launched missions to preserve classical languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Pali and Prakrit promote the digitsation of manuscripts, and support endangered folk arts and crafts under schemes like USTTAD and Hamari Dharohar.

India’s monuments too began to breathe with renewed vitality. The unveiling of the Statue of Unity in 2018 was not just about scale—it was about reclaiming narrative. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, long overshadowed, was placed at the forefront of national memory. The renaming of Rajpath to Kartavya Path symbolized a decisive shift—from colonial symbolism to native accountability.

Perhaps no diplomatic engagement illustrated this shift better than the 2019 informal summit between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. Far from the corridors of Delhi, the ancient port city—once a thriving centre of the Pallava dynasty and IndoChinese maritime links— became the backdrop for a conversation between two civilizations. As the leaders walked amid rock-cut temples and stone chariots, India presented not just geography, but history; not just protocol, but legacy. It was soft power at its subtlest and strongest.

This cultural ethos flowed into India’s global diplomacy in other ways too. PM Modi’s state gifts to world leaders—ranging from Pattachitra paintings to lacquered toys for children—carried with them stories of India’s artisans and timeless traditions.

The G-20 presidency in 2023 was another cultural milestone. Far from being confined to Delhi’s diplomatic halls, the summit became a pan-India celebration of cultural identity. From tribal art displays to classical performances, India showcased not just its policy depth, but its soul. Every delegation was immersed in the colours, cuisine, crafts, and consciousness of Bharat. The message was clear: India is not a civilisation in past tense—it is alive, dynamic, and confidently global.

During these years, over 600 stolen artefacts—including idols, sculptures, and manuscripts—were brought back from foreign museums and collectors. Each return was a restoration not just of art, but of honour. Similarly, Veer Bal Diwas was instituted to remember the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh’s sons, while Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas brought tribal freedom fighters into national focus.

Even the pandemic did not dim the cultural flame. Through virtual concerts, digital museum tours, and “Mann Ki Baat”, the Prime Minister ensured that art, stories, and cultural pride continued to thrive within the solitude of lockdowns.

All of this converged into the campaign slogan: “Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi”—a call that economic growth must walk hand in hand with cultural pride. Under the Modi Government, this slogan wasn’t mere rhetoric. It defined a new vision where GDP growth, digital infrastructure, and defense modernization were inseparable from temple restoration, tribal pride, and civiliational storytelling.

India today no longer tiptoes around its identity. It strides forward—unapologetically rooted and confidently modern. Cultural nationalism, once dismissed as regressive, has emerged as the binding force of progress. In the BJP’s ideological compass, culture is not an accessory—it is the axis.

In these eleven years, the Modi era has not merely overseen a cultural policy—it has awakened a cultural consciousness. What began as restoration became resurgence. And what was once neglected as nostalgia has now become the nucleus of national identity.

The Ram Mandir and the Sengol will remain iconic symbols, but the deeper legacy lies in the collective realization that India’s future is brightest when it remembers where it came from. We are not just a country with a long history—we are a living civilization with a long memory. And in that memory, under the watch of dharma, India has found its voice again.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT, The writer is Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Government of India