• By Kamal Kumar
  • Fri, 12 Jan 2024 03:39 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

PM In Maharashtra:  As the country dives into the spirituality ahead of the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha on January 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took to temple cleaning as his way to initiate the auspicious occasion. In a new video shared by ANI on the microblogging website 'X', PM Modi could be seen cleaning the premises of Kalaram temple in Maharashtra's Nashik.

Notably, the PM is on a visit to the state, where he will also set to inaugurate India's longest sea bridge, Atal Setu or Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL). The bridge, spanning 21.8 kilometres with six lanes, is named in honour of the late BJP veteran and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The construction of this bridge was done at a staggering cost of ₹18,000 crore.

Ahead of the inauguration, the PM prayed at the historic Shree Kalaram Temple in the Panchvati area of the district. While taking part in the cleaning drive, the PM also urged the youth of the country to contribute to Swachhata Abhiyans in the temples around them.

The PM was welcomed by the trustees of the Shree Kalaram Temple Trust, then he was taken around the temple precincts for the darshan. He also performed an aarti at the premises with the priests. The priests sang the 'Yudh Kanda' segment of Ramayana - portraying Lord Rama's homecoming to Ayodhya. While the segment was sung in Marathi through an AI translation tool, the verses reached him in Hindi. PM last also took part in a special sitting on Bhavarth Ramayana.

"At the Shree Kalaram Temple, I had the profound experience of hearing verses from the Bhavarth Ramayana written in Marathi by Sant Eknath Ji, eloquently narrating Prabhu Shri Ram's triumphant return to Ayodhya. This recitation, resonating with devotion and history, was a very special experience," he posted on X.

He was honoured with a shawl and later presented with a photo frame of the temple idols, a replica of the temple and a plaque. Later, Modi sat with some priests and bhajan singers and took part in the singing of holy hymns by playing a pair of mini-cymbals, at the temple situated in the lush green hills of Panchvati overlooking the northern banks of the River Godavari.

(With IANS Inputs)