MAHAKUMBH NAGAR, Feb 5: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam and said he felt “blessed to be at the Maha Kumbh” where he was “filled with a spirit of devotion”.
The prime minister held ‘rudraksh’ beads in his hand during the bathing ritual. Dressed in a deep orange jersey and blue lowers, he offered prayers to the sun and the Ganga amid the chanting of mantras.
“Blessed to be at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. The Snan at the Sangam is a moment of divine connection, and like the crores of others who have taken part in it, I was also filled with a spirit of devotion,” Modi posted on X.
“May Maa Ganga bless all with peace, wisdom, good health and harmony,” he added.
In another post in Hindi, he said, “Today I got the great fortune of performing Puja archana after nothing in the holy Sangam at Prayagraj Maha Kumbh. I got immense peace and satisfaction from the blessings of Maa Ganga. I prayed to her for the happiness, prosperity, health and well-being of all the countrymen. Har-Har Gange.” He also shared some pictures of his visit, captioning the post: “The confluence of faith, devotion and spirituality in the divine and grand Maha Kumbh of Prayagraj is overwhelming everyone.” His trip lasted around 90 minutes during which there was minimal use of the road -? barely 3 km in the car. He travelled from Prayagraj airport to a helipad near Sangam in a helicopter and later used motor boat to and fro the confluence of the sacred rivers from Arail Ghat.
This trip was much shorter than Modi’s February 2019 visit to Kumbh when he, in a unique gesture, washed the feet of several sanitation workers as a mark of appreciation for their work and spent around five hours in the Mela.
After landing in Prayagraj around 10.30 am Wednesday, Modi took a boat ride from Arail ghat to the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. He was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Adityanath also shared pictures of Modi’s visit on social media, saying he offered prayers as per rituals for the “happiness, peace and prosperity” of countrymen.
On the way, he acknowledged the greetings of crowds that had lined up on both sides of the riverbanks to catch a glimpse of him. (PTI)
25,000 tribal devotees to take holy bath at Maha Kumbh, vow to protect religion: RSS body
MAHAKUMBH NAGAR, Feb 5: About 25,000 devotees from tribal communities will visit Prayagraj to take a holy dip at Maha Kumbh Sangam and vow to “protect” their religion, culture and traditions, an affiliate of the Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram said on Wednesday.
The Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram has organised a “grand gathering” of devotees from tribal communities at Maha Kumbh from February 6 to February 10, the Seva Prakalp Sansthan said.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram is one of the oldest affiliates of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
“In the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, a grand tribal gathering is being organised by the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram from February 6 to February 10,” Seva Prakalp Sansthan secretary Salil Nemani said in a statement.
In this “historic gathering”, about 25,000 tribal devotees from all over the country will be present and will take a pledge to protect their ‘dharma’ (religion), ‘sanskriti’ (culture) and ‘parampara’ (traditions), he added.
The RSS body said a grand ‘shobha yatra’ of tribal seers and devotees will be organised on February 7.A large number of tribal devotees will participate in the ‘shobha yatra’ in their traditional attire and reach the Sangam to take a holy bath, it said. (PTI)