New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the 'Smriti Van Smarak' in Gujarat's Bhuj on his second day of the visit to the state. Built in an area of around 470 acres, the memorial is built to celebrate the spirit of resilience shown by the people after the death of around 13,000 people during the tragic 2001 Gujarat earthquake with its epicentre in Bhuj. The memorial carries names of the people who had lost their lives during the natural calamity. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel was also present during the inauguration.
Before inaugurating the memorial, PM Modi held a road show in the city where hundreds of people came out on road to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister. The PM greeted and waved hand at the crowd.
As per the official press release by the Prime Minister's Office, The state of the art Smriti Van Earthquake Museum is segregated in seven blocks based on seven themes: Rebirth, Rediscover, Restore, Rebuild, Rethink, Relive and Renew.
The first block is based on the theme Rebirth depicting Earth’s evolution and ability of the earth to overcome every time.
The second block exhibits Gujarat’s topography and various natural disasters that the state is vulnerable to.
The third block takes one back to the immediate aftermath after the 2001 earthquake. Galleries in this block address the massive relief effort undertaken by individuals as well as organisations.
The fourth block showcases Gujarat’s rebuilding initiatives and success stories post 2001 earthquake.
The fifth block prompts the visitor to think and learn about different types of disasters and future readiness for any type of disaster at any time. The sixth block helps us to relive the experience of an earthquake with the help of a simulator. The experience is designed in a 5D simulator and is meant to give the visitor the ground reality of an event at this scale. The seventh block provides people with a space for remembrance where they can pay homage to the lost souls.