NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI/GANDHINAGAR, JAN 19
As part of his special religious practise for 11 days in the run up to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ at the Ram temple, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been sleeping over a blanket on the floor and drinking only coconut water, sources said on Friday.
Modi has also been doing “gau-pooja”, feeding cows and has been engaged in various forms of ‘daan’ (charity) like ‘annadaan’ and giving away clothes in accordance with scriptures, they added.
As a devout “Ram Bhakt”, Modi has been visiting temples in different parts of the country in the last few days, including Ramkund and Shree Kalaram Temple in Nasik, Veerbhadra Temple in Lepakshi in Andhra Pradesh and Guruvayur Temple and Thriprayar Shree Ramaswami Temple in Kerala.
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Similarly, he will visit more such temples in Tamil Nadu over the next two days. These temples not only act as a unifying force for different parts of the country but also have a connection with Lord Ram, they noted.
His visit to temples across the country in the last few days and listening to Ramayana in multiple languages and participating in bhajans in the temples is significant as its impact goes much beyond the commonly understood realm of religion, they said.
His efforts are also aimed at strengthening the “bharatiya” socio-cultural fabric in line with the his vision of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’, they added.
He also launched the initiative to clean up temples and cleaned the premises of Shree Kalaram Temple in Nasik in an effort to lead by example to spark a mass movement.
“Lakhs of people voluntarily took on the task of cleaning the temples. The movement has witnessed enthusiastic participation from people of all walks of life in the country. From celebrities to common man, everyone has responded to Modi’s clarion call, which is also seen in #SwachhTeerthCampaign being amongst the top trends on X,” an official said.
Gujarat government declares half-day holiday for its offices on January 22
All government offices in Gujarat will remain closed for half a day on January 22 to celebrate the consecration of Ram temple in Ayodhya, officials said on Friday.
A notification regarding the closure of offices till 2.30 pm on January 22 was issued by the state government late on Thursday night, they said.
“The entire country will be celebrating the Ram temple consecration ceremony on January 22. All offices and institutes of state government will remain closed till 2.30 pm on January 22 so that people of the state can participate in the celebrations,” the notification said.
The central government on Thursday announced a half-day holiday for all its employees on January 22.
