Gadha village in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, used to be a small, quiet town. But since Bageshwar Dham and its spiritual leader, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, became very popular, the village has changed a lot. There were only 3,300 people living in the village five years ago, and most of their income came from farming and tourists visiting nearby Khajuraho.
The Dream: Hindu Village Plan Unveiled
It was in April that Shastri started building what he calls “India’s first Hindu village.” The project includes a Sanskrit school, a cowshed, and a yajna shala, as well as homes for 1,000 Hindu families spread out over 20 acres. The homes cost between ₹15 and ₹17 lakh and are sold under tight contracts that make them non-transferable.
A temple town that is getting more visitors
Now, huge groups of people—up to 1 lakh followers on important days—go to the area. To serve the newcomers, many more shops, bars, and hotels have opened in the area. The Annapoorna Kitchen in the town feeds about 15,000 people every day. People who live in Gadha say that the city’s daily economic activity is now between 10 and 20 lakh rupees, which is very different from how it was before.
Boom in Real Estate and Infrastructure
The prices of land in and around Gadha have gone through the roof as investors try to make money off of the area’s spiritual and business possibilities. The village has become a real estate hotspot in Bundelkhand thanks to the arrival of new building projects, hotels, and other businesses.
There is support from the top: Modi’s support
The first stone for a ₹200-crore cancer hospital in the area was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2025. He praised Shastri’s plan to improve society and bring Hindu families together for a common goal.
More and more people are arguing about communal vision.
Even though the economy is doing well, some people are worried about the racial undertones in Shastri’s call for a “Hindu Rashtra.” There are claims that his brother made threats against a Dalit couple, which shows how social tensions are rising.
Creating jobs for people in the area
Local youth, especially those from SC, ST, and OBC communities, can now find work in construction, hospitality, and retail, thanks to the growth. But people are still moving because they can’t find stable jobs.
What’s the Big Picture? Chance or Divide?
Gadha’s change is more than just a local success story; it’s now a model for how spiritual centres can affect the economy, housing market, and community life. As progress is made, policymakers and people in general are still trying to figure out how to combine growth with inclusion.
