Vrindavan: President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said as India makes a "transformative change" from being a developing to a developed nation, it must reconnect to its spiritual past.

Speaking at the Chandrodaya temple being established by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) here, Mukherjee said India was one of the oldest and culturally rich civilizations in the world.

"As we now make the transformative change from being a developing to a developed economy, there will be immense pressures on our socio-economic and moral fabric. It is, therefore, imperative that we reconnect to our spiritual dimensions.

"There can be no better way of doing this than spreading the Bhagvad Gita's message of universal love and humanity," said the president.

Expressing happiness that the temple will disseminate the message of the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam in a rational manner, Mukherjee said that the message was particularly relevant for the society today.

"While we as a nation move up the developmental ladder, it is essential that our spiritual core, which forms the bedrock of our civilization, remains undiluted and strong as ever."

The president said Vrindavan should strive to become a world renowned center for spiritual enlightenment, from where the message of divinity and peace resonates across all humanity.

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India must reconnect to its spiritual past: Pranab Mukherjee