New Delhi, June 7 (IANS) On this day in 2010, marking 50 years of Gujarat’s statehood, then Chief Minister Narendra Modi—now Prime Minister—undertook a visionary initiative that sought to bridge history with the future. At the Mahatma Mandir site in Gandhinagar, he sealed a Time Capsule chronicling Gujarat’s journey since 1960 and ceremoniously lowered it into the earth. The capsule is intended to be opened 1,000 years from now.
The moment was recently brought back into public memory through a video shared on Saturday by Modi Story, a popular social media handle on X, captioned: “Gujarat’s Time Capsule – Modi’s Tribute to a Timeless Legacy.”
Crafted from high-grade stainless steel and weighing 90 kilograms, the capsule—referred to as Kaal Sanduk or Smriti Manjusha—was built to withstand the test of time. It captures the essence of Gujarat’s evolution—from its civilizational roots in trade, culture, and spirituality, to the remarkable developmental strides of the last five decades.
The capsule contains a curated collection of documents and artefacts, including references to Mahatma Gandhi’s guiding principles, the historic speech by Ravishankar Maharaj that inspired Gujarat’s creation, and a broad narrative of the state’s socio-cultural and historical milestones. These records are inscribed in four languages: Gujarati, Hindi, English and Sanskrit.
Yamal Vyas, Chairman of the 4th Finance Commission of Gujarat, reflected on the capsule’s significance in the Modi Story video.
“In 2010, Modi ji gave a visionary suggestion to preserve culture. The capsule includes a brief yet thorough history of Gujarat, written in four languages, along with a detailed account of the state’s development over the last 50 years,” he said.
Even the script and paper were specially designed for longevity. The texts were written on a unique paper blended with plastic, ensuring they remain legible for generations.
This time capsule is not merely a container of the past—it is Gujarat’s voice, echoing into the future as a symbol of identity, resilience, and vision.
–IANS
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