Modi offers prayers at Dhakeshwari Temple, Ramkrishna Mission
Inaugurates new chancery complex of Indian High Commission in Dhaka
Special Correspondent
On the second day of the two-day visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, he began his day by offering prayers at the Dhakeshwari National Temple in old town and Ramakrishna Mission in Gopibagh. On his arrival at the Dhakeshwari temple at 8.40am, Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation Sayeed Khokon received him. Leaders of Mahanagar Sarbojonin Puja Committee, led by its president J L Bhowmik and General Secretary Narayan Saha Moni, welcomed the Indian premier. When Modi entered the main gate of the 800-year-old temple, the Hindu devotees received him playing traditional instruments like Shankha and Dhak, and offered him Ulludhoni. He was also presented with flowers by the devotees and honoured with a white and red sash. Narendra Modi paid homage at the altar of the deity, Goddess Durga. Chief Sebayet of the temple Prodip Chakrawarty accompanied him. On behalf of the Dhakeshwari national temple, the Mahanagar Sarbojonin Puja Committee presented him with a crest with a symbol of the Goddess Durga. Indian Prime Minister greeted the leaders of the Sarbojonin Puja Committee and shook hand with them. Minutes after his visit to the temples, videos of him offering prayer were uploaded on his Twitter account. The videos show Modi saying his prayers and performing Aarti at the temple. Later, he visited Shiva-temple located inside the Dhakeshwari temple. After staying for about 15 minutes in the temple, the Indian Prime Minister went to Ramakrishna Mission in the citys Gopibagh. The General Secretary of Ramkrishna Math and Mission (Belur Math), Swami Suhitananda, Principal of Dhaka Mission Swami Dhrubeshananda and other monks welcomed the Indian Prime Minister when he entered the mission yard at quarter-past nine. Modi paid his respect to the Ramakrishna Paramhansa and joined chorus and was adorned with a saffron sash. He was also presented with two commemoratives and a biography of Swami Vivekananda, written in Guajarati language. The Indian Prime Minister also tweeted about his visit to the mission. Paying my respects to Ramakrishna Paramhansa at Dhakas Ramakrishna Mission, Modi tweeted with a photograph of him taken inside the Ramakrishna temple. Norendra Modi than came out of the temple and greeted people waiting outside and got photographed with the monks and devotees on the temples stairs. On his departure from the Mission, Modi greeted a group of students of the Missions school where the premier was presented with a crest, marking 100 years of the school. Later, the Indian premier went to the Chancery of Indian High Commission in Baridhara of the city and inaugurated the newly-built Chancery complex of the Commission here. He also planted a Bakul sapling on the Chancery complex ground. He also unveiled plaque of foundation stones for six projects in Bangladesh funded by the Government of India-Kumudini Hospital Complex in Mirzapur of Tangail distrcit, building of Education and Rehabilitation for the Blinds, Department of Hindi at the Institute of Modern Language, construction and decoration of Recording Studio in the Department of Music of Dhaka University, construction and decoration of the Department of Dance of Dhaka University and India-Bangladesh Friendship Girls Hostel. He also handed over the keys of two ambulances to the leaders of the National Freedom Fighters Foundation. The Indian Prime Minister came on a two-day state visit to Dhaka on Saturday morning at the invitation of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
