Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held a mega roadshow in Maharashtra's Nashik ahead of the inauguration of the National Youth Festival.
PM Modi - accompanied by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar - also offered prayer at Shree Kalaram Mandir after the roadshow.
He was seen sitting at the temple playing cymbals - a musical instrument - while several priests sung Ram Bhajan.
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Shree Kalaram Mandir in Nashik, Maharashtra. pic.twitter.com/mADzM7rYpq
— ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2024The priests also sang the 'Yudh Kanda' segment of Ramayana - which depicts Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya. While the segment was sung in Marathi through an AI translation tool, the verses reached him in Hindi.
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… pic.twitter.com/rYqf5YR5qu
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 12, 2024He also visited Ramkund on the bank of Godavari river, where he was offered a traditional 'pagdi' or turban. The Prime Minister performed 'Jal Pujan' and 'aarti' there.
PM Modi will later in the day inaugurate Atal Setu, India's longest sea bridge, in Mumbai. Atal Setu has been constructed at a total cost of more than Rs 17,840 crore.
He will also address a public meeting in Navi Mumbai after the inauguration.