PM Narendra Modi on Sunday took a holy dip in the river Ganges during the religious gathering- Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj. The Prime Minister then offered his prayers at the Sangam, which is the holy joining of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati. After taking holy deep, PM Modi stumbled upon some sanitation workers in that location.
He honoured sanitation workers at the Swachh Kumbh Swachh Aabhaar event, organised by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. Post that, the Prime Minister was also seen washing the feet of a group of sanitation workers as a token of respect.
“Aaj jin safaikarmi bhaiyo aur behno ke charan dhul kar maine vandana ki hai, wo pal mere saath jeevan bhar rahega. Unka aashirwad, unka sneh, aap sabhi ka aashirwaad, mujh par aise hi bana rahe, aise hi main aapki seva karta rahu, yahi meri kaamna hai,” said PM Modi in Prayagraj.
“I today washed the feet of sanitary workers and worshipped them. The memories will always remain with me. May their blessings, love be with me. May I always serve you the same way. That’s my wish,” PM Modi said.
#WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi washes feet of sanitation workers in Prayagraj pic.twitter.com/otTUJpqynU
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 24, 2019
PM Modi wore a robe as he stepped into the holy Sangam water. Then, he changed to a saffron kurta and shawl only to perform aarti at the Triveni Ghat in Prayagraj.
After that, he arrived in Prayagraj in a special Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper and was accompanied by UP CM Yogi Adityanath. “Had the good fortune of taking a holy dip at the #Kumbh. Prayed for the well being of 130 Crore Indians (sic),” PM Modi tweeted.
Kumbh Mela is one of the important religious gatherings in the world. In fact, it is the largest one in the world too. It has been included in the list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’. Kumbh 2019 which is currently going on in Prayagraj till March 4 has attracted millions of devotees.
Australian atheist comes to India, becomes a die-hard Hindu Saint
Who would have actually thought that an atheist would change his mind to become a Hindu monk? It was witnessed in year’s Kumbh when a unique baba stole the spotlight. Identified as Sharabhang Giri, famously known as Australian Baba, who was once an atheist firmly convinced that there is no god.
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It was only after visiting India and learning about the culture, his perception towards religious beliefs slowly changed as he went on to become a dedicated Hindu saint. It is well known that devotees from around the world come to India to take a dip in the holy confluence of rivers such as Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati.
Giri said that his productive trip to India in the year 1998 changed his life completely. This is the tenth Kumbh he is marking his presence. For your information, Giri belongs to famous Juna Akhada, known for its intense Naga sadhus, who are the devotees of Lord Shiva.
In case you don’t know:
Naga saints are a militant group of Hindus and are well known for protecting Hinduism and India from foreign invaders. It was founded by Shankaracharya, who is a devotee of Lord Shiva.
Naga Sadhus mostly live in Himalayan Caves and they can be seen in masses during the time of Kumbh Mela. They are mostly naked Saints and have long Jata on their heads. We are quite familiar with their faces as they are always covered with the ashes of the burning of dead bodies.
The saints smear the ashes of dead bodies on their whole bodies. Majority of them are the followers of Lord Shiva. It should be noted that they have unique styles of praying and meditating Lord Shiva.
