Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Jagatguru Sreesant Tukaram Maharaj Shila Mandir at Dehu Village near Pune. He said Sant Tukaram became not only a ray of hope for the present society but for the future also.
Sant Tukaram was a Warkari saint and poet, famously known for Abhanga devotional poetry and community-oriented worship through spiritual songs known as Kirtans. He lived in Dehu. A Shila Mandir was built after his demise, but it was not formally structured as a Temple. It has been rebuilt in stone masonry with 36 peaks, and also carries an idol of Sant Tukaram. Earlier, the Prime Minister visited the statues of Vitthal-Rukmini in the main temple of Dehu. He also worshiped the symbolic pillar of Bhagwat Dharma built in front of the Shila Mandir.