New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday stated the rare idol of Maa Annapurna that went missing from Kashi 100 years ago during the British era, is finally being returned to from Canada to its home, Varanasi and will be installed there.
Highlighting the efforts made by the PM Narendra Modi to retrieve and bring home the idol of the goddess , CM Yogi said, “100 years ago an idol of Maa Annapurna went away from Kashi which ended up at a university in Canada. The government of India has received that idol from the University, it is now being given to the Government of Uttar Pradesh. It will be placed in Kashi Vishwanath temple on November 15 amid chanting of Vedic hymns,” CM Adityanath said.
Speaking at a press conference, the CM said, “It is an occasion for joy and spiritual satisfaction. This statue will be transferred to the state government in a ceremony to be organized in Delhi on November 11, followed by its journey in a grand procession from Delhi on to reach Varanasi on November 14 enroute stopovers of one day each in Soron, Kanpur Nagar and Ayodhya.”
Finally, on the auspicious occasion of ‘Devotthan Ekadashi’ on November 15, a grand ceremony will be held at Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham and the statue will be placed after the appropriate rituals, he added.
Giving credits to PM Modi for the cultural renaissance in India, he said, “Today, more than 200 countries of the world are celebrating “International Yoga Day” on 21st June by adopting ‘Yoga’ which is the gift of Indian sages,” adding that the grand-divine Prayagraj Kumbh, organized under the guidance of the Prime Minister, is being appreciated by the whole world as an ‘intangible cultural heritage of humanity’ (manavta ki amoort sanskritik dharohar).
The chief minister further said the recognition given to ‘Ayush Vidya’, especially Ayurveda, is phenomenal. Now in this sequence, the idol of Goddess Annapurna, which went missing from Kashi is being returned.
‘Maa Annapurna ke ashish se Kashi me koi bhookha nahi rehta’. It is Goddess Annapurna who gives food to Baba Vishwanath. In such a situation, this idol has special significance, he added.
The Union minister for culture and tourism G. Kishan Reddy said that since 2014, 42 rare idols and antiquities have been returned to the country during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whereas from 1976 to 2013, only 13 rare statues-paintings could be brought back. Reddy said that after PM Modi’s recent visit to America, the path has been cleared for the return of 157 such rare antiquities which will be brought to India soon.
General public will get to worship the Goddess
CM Yogi informed the media persons that on the auspicious occasion of ‘Gopashtami’, the statue will begin its journey to Kashi with a four-day grand procession.
“On November 11, the procession will reach Soron where it will stay for a night. Next day, the idol will reach Tapeshwari Devi temple of Kanpur via Etah, Mainpuri. On November 13, the procession will reach Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Ayodhya via Unnao, Lucknow and Barabanki. After this, on 14th November the idol will reach Varanasi. On November 15 which is ‘Devotthan Ekadashi’, the idol will be placed in Kashi Vishwanath temple after performing rituals. The CM said that the procession in each district would be welcomed by the local public representatives and the minister in charge of the district. The general public will also participate in this.
