Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone for development projects worth over Rs 2,700 crore in Puducherry.
While addressing a public gathering at the Helipad Ground in Lawspet, he also welcomed the commencement of the Second Global Spirituality Mahotsav at Auroville, being held from March 1 to 3, 2026.
Modi said he was happy to know that Auroville was hosting the event, which brings together nations, ideas and spiritual aspirations. The theme of the Mahotsav, “Realising Sri Aurobindo’s Five Dreams for a New Humanity”, revisits a vision articulated on the eve of India’s Independence, revolving around freedom, unity, spiritual awakening and the evolutionary progress of mankind.
Established on February 28, 1968, by Mirra Alfassa, known as 'The Mother', the universal township of Auroville was imagined as a space where people from every country could live in peaceful and evolving harmony, beyond the boundaries of religion, politics and nationality.
“Sri Aurobindo and The Mother gave a new spiritual vision to the whole world,” Modi said, describing Puducherry as the land of saints, poets and freedom fighters.
He said, “It is an honour to be here in Puducherry. This is the land where poet Subramania Bharati ignited the fire of nationalism, and from here Sri Aurobindo gave a new spiritual vision to the whole world.”
Over the three-day event, Auroville will host plenary discussions, meditative sessions, cultural presentations and thematic dialogues designed to nourish both the mind and the inner self.
With assembly elections approaching in Puducherry, Modi also criticised the DMK–Congress alliance, accusing it of long neglect of the Union Territory. “There was no rice in ration shops back in those days, no political stability and rampant corruption,” he alleged.
By contrast, Modi said Puducherry had seen improved governance and faster development since the NDA came to power in 2021. He talked about the significant increase in per capita income and noted that the Union Territory had secured the highest Coastal Progress Index score in the country.
“When the Centre and the UT work with a shared vision and commitment, outcomes are faster, much more effective. It is there for all to see. The double-engine NDA government will now give further momentum to Puducherry’s growth,” he said.
Modi spoke in the presence of Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan and Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy, whose party, the All India NR Congress (AINRC) leads the Puducherry government as an alliance partner of the BJP. Rangaswamy formed the AINRC in 2011 after parting ways with the Congress.