Bhopal, Feb. 22 :    Bhopal, Feb. 22:  Draped in a yellow saree, worn by Hindu women during auspicious rites, Sonia Gandhi today took part in a religious ceremony that could symbolise the beginning of the Congress' challenge to the Sangh parivar as the self-appointed spokesman for Hindus. With the blessing of three Sankaracharyas, and accompanied by three Congress chief ministers, Sonia attended the mahaabhishek for the world's first and largest crystal shivling, installed on February 15 at Dighauri. About 400 km from Bhopal in southeast Madhya Pradesh, this is the birthplace of Swami Swaroopananda Saraswati, the Sankaracharya of Dwarka and Badrika Peeths. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh had invited the Prime Minister to participate in the mahaabhishek but he chose to keep away. A magnificent temple named Sri Guru Ratneshwar Mahadev has been built here on a 300-acre plot in Seoni district on the banks of the river Benganga. The Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamkoti, Jayendra Saraswati, was present on the day of the installation. The Sankaracharya of Puri, Swami Nishchalananda, later visited the temple. Sonia landed around 1 pm. Seeking the blessings of Swami Swaroopananda, she performed the mahaabhishek, washing the 55-kg crystal shivling with holy water brought from different places of pilgrimage, milk, ghee and honey. Her puja lasted over half-an-hour. Digvijay, Ajit Jogi, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Kamal Nath, Motilal Vohra and other Congress leaders followed suit. Sonia and her partymen then joined the ongoing dharma sabha on the temple premises and held meetings with the dharmacharyas and sought their blessings. She held a separate half-hour meeting with Sankaracharya Swaroopananda. 'No religion teaches man to differentiate one from another. Adi Sankaracharya had taught us this. Lifestyle, religion, language, traditions, cultures may be different in India but this country is everybody's home and everyone belongs to this country,' the Congress president said in her speech at the meet, which was attended by religious heads of other communities as well. 'Dighauri is the sacred birthplace of Sankaracharya Swaroopananda. Adi Sankaracharya had also come to Dighauri and delivered a secular message for the unity of this country,' she said. In a direct appeal of support in the battle against the VHP, which has upped the Ayodhya ante, the Congress president said: 'Because there is violence and disturbance prevailing in the country today, people are looking forward to sants, priests and religious heads for guidance. However, there are those who are using the concept of religion to spread hatred. Our religious leaders should save us from these people and political parties too.' The response was encouraging. Sankaracharya Swaroopananda said he was pleased that Sonia had come to Dighauri and that she is doing well, 'following her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi's footsteps'. He asked her to keep serving the country. All the dharmacharyas present blessed her: 'Shakti aur bhakti prapt ho'.