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Mauritius PM offers prayers at KV Temple; worships Ram Lalla on Ayodhya visit
Mauritius PM Ramgoolam concluded his Varanasi visit with prayers at Kashi Vishwanath, strengthening cultural ties with India, before heading to Ayodhya.
Mauritius Prime Minister Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, his wife, Veena Ramgoolam, offered prayers to Baba Kashi Vishwanath on Friday, concluding his three-day visit to Varanasi.
Ramgoolam arrived in Kashi on September 10. He held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and watched Ganga Arti along with a 70-member delegation. On Friday morning, Ramgoolam did darshan and poojan of Baba Kashi Vishwanath.
Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel gifted a replica of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, a GI tag artefact, to the Mauritius PM.
Thereafter, Patel, state finance and parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Khanna bade farewell to the Mauritius PM at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Babatpur, Varanasi.
Divisional commissioner S Rajalingam, District Magistrate Satyendra Kumar and other prominent people were present at the airport.
Temple replica made using Gulabi Meenakari
The replica of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple presented by governor Anandiben Patel to the Mauritius PM was made using pink enameling craft (Gulabi Meenakari).
National awardee craftsman Kunjbihari, who is known for making beautiful artefacts, said that this replica has been made for the first time for a special guest. It took about a month to prepare it.
On Thursday, the Mauritius PM’s wife, Veena Ramgoolam, visited a Banarasi saree showroom located on Maqbool Alam Road. Owner Virendra Agarwal said that she liked Banarasi sarees very much and picked up a few. Apart from this, she also bought potli bags, sling bags and kurta-pyjamas. Veena also chose several items for gifts, which reflects the global appeal of Kashi’s handicrafts.
Mauritius PM lands in Ayodhya
Later, Ramgoolam and his wife paid obeisance to Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. Along with a 30-member delegation, the PM landed at the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya from Varanasi.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath was present at the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport to welcome the visiting PM. He was received with Vedic chants, kalash aarti, flowers and the rhythmic sounds of drums, nagadas, and conch shells filling the atmosphere with spirituality.
Thereafter, the PM and his wife reached Ram Mandir and worshipped Ram Lalla with vedic rituals.
The PM prayed for strengthening of ties between the two countries and spent about half an hour in the temple complex.
Later, chief minister Yogi Adityanath honoured the visiting leader by presenting him with a scale model of the temple, while his wife, Veena Ramgoolam, was felicitated with an angavastra.
Relations between India and Mauritius go beyond diplomacy, deeply rooted in culture and spirituality. A large part of Mauritius’s population is of Indian origin, with strong devotion towards the Ramayana, Lord Ram, and Indian traditions.
The story of Ram is still alive in Mauritius’s festivals, literature, and cultural life.
Prime Minister Ramgoolam’s visit to Ayodhya is considered a step towards further strengthening ties between the two nations.
Commenting on the visit, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that the visit of Mauritius PM is a symbol of cultural unity between India and Mauritius.
