Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka. He arrived the southern state on Sunday.
PM Modi on Monday took part in the festivities of Mahamastakabhisheka at the holy pilgrimage of Shravanabelagola, Karnataka. This was the first visit of a Prime Minister to the holy site in 25 years.
"Mahamastakabhisheka happens once in 12 years. It is my good fortune that I am getting this opportunity to take part in the celebrations. Saints and seers from our land have always served society and made a positive difference," PM Modi said.
He added, "The strength of our society is that we have always changed with the times and adapted well to new contexts."
Watch LIVE: PM Shri @narendramodi at Shravanabelagola for the Bahubali Mahamasthakabhisheka Mahotsava. pic.twitter.com/qrsp7Bs7gW
— BJP (@BJP4India) February 19, 2018
Prime Minister Modi will also inaugurate the newly carved 630 steps on the Vindhyagiri hill that takes the disciples to the top for a darshan of the 58.8 feet tall monolithic statue of Bahubali.
Later in the day, he will flag off the Palace Queen Humsafar Express between Mysuru and Udaipur.
PM @NarendraModi will be dedicating electrified railway line between Mysuru & KSR Bengaluru to the nation & flagging off Palace Queen Humsafar Express between Mysuru & Udaipur, today. It will help Railways achieve energy-efficient transport & will open up new vistas in tourism. pic.twitter.com/DdFHCWaLFH
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 19, 2018
PM will visit Shravanabelagola for the Bahubali Mahamasthakabhisheka Mahotsava. At a function at Mysuru Railway Station, he will dedicate to the nation, the electrified Mysuru-Bengaluru Railway Line. He will also flag off Palace Queen Humsafar Express between Mysuru and Udaipur.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 19, 2018
At the same time, he will also lay the foundation stone for the eight-lane Mysuru-Bengaluru highway.
Moreover, PM Modi will inaugurate a new block of the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) hospital in the city and address a public rally in Mysuru.
It is his second visit to the southern state in a fortnight. PM Modi paid a three-hour visit to Bengaluru on February 4, 2018, to address a BJP rally to mark the culmination of the 90-day "Nava Karnataka Nirmana Parivartana Yatre" (journey to build a new Karnataka).
The Assembly elections in Karnataka are due in late April or early May, 2018.
(With Agency inputs)
