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PM Modi offers prayers at two temples in Kerala
PM Modi inaugurated shipping projects at Willingdon Island in Kochi and addressed a meeting before flying back to Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at Shree Ramaswami Temple and Guruvayur Temple on day two of his visit to Kerala on Wednesday. He performed the thulabharam ritual in which a person is weighed against the equivalent weight of fruits or grain donated to the Guruvayur Temple.
Shree Ramaswami Temple is part of the Nalambalam circuit of four temples dedicated to Lord Ram and his brothers Bharat, Lakshman, and Shatrughan. Visiting all four temples on a single day during the Malayalam month of Karkidakam is considered auspicious.
Modi on Friday last said he will undertake a set of rituals required ahead of the consecration of the idols at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. He later visited Panchavati in Nashik, where Lord Ram spent much of his exile.
Modi shared pictures of day two of his Kerala visit on X. “It was early in the morning but people in Guruvayur came in large numbers to bless me. I cherish this warmth and it motivates me to work even harder for the people,” he wrote. “Prayed at the sacred Guruvayur Temple. The divine energy of this Temple is immense. I prayed that every Indian be happy and prosperous.”
Modi also attended the wedding of actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suresh Gopi’s daughter at the Guruvayur Temple. He handed over the garlands to the bride and groom and clicked photographs with the couple and their parents.
Actors Mammootty, Mohanlal, Jayaram, Khushboo, director Hariharan, and producer G Suresh Kumar were among those who attended the ceremony.
Gopi, who has starred in over 250 films in Malayalam and is a former Rajya Sabha member, is likely to be the BJP candidate for the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat. He contested the 2019 elections from Thrissur but finished third even as the BJP’s vote share increased.
Modi also inaugurated shipping projects at Willingdon Island in Kochi and addressed a meeting before flying back to Delhi.
