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Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to take up cleaning of temples and other places of worship across the country ahead of the opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and his wife Lakshmi on Tuesday cleaned the premises of Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram.
Prime Minister Modi will preside over the 'Pran Pratishtha' or the ceremonial enthronement of Shri Ram Lalla at the grand temple in Ayodhya in less than a week. He earlier announced that keep fast for 11 days in the run-up to the January 22 event. Before picking up the broom and mop, Governor Ravi and his wife were also pictured offering prayers at the Ramanathaswamy temple. Earlier in the day, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday participated in a cleanliness drive across different temples in his constituency, Bordowali. The Tripura CM was pictured cleaning the surrounding area of a temple with a broom. Speaking to media persons on Tuesday, CM Saha said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on fellow citizens to take up cleanliness drives at temples and other places of worship across the country ahead of the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. We took up the drive on January 14 and this is the third day," Saha said. "There are festive vibes around the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony and everyone seems to be exuding positive energy. All our leaders and cadre across the country are participating enthusiastically in the cleanliness campaign. We are all coming together to clean our temples. Such campaigns are being organised in every constituency of the state," he added. The Tripura CM added that participating in a cleanliness campaign made him feel that he had reached the Ram Temple. He informed while he won't attend the ceremonial installation of the idol at the Ram Temple on January 22, he will visit the shrine later. He also urged devotees to visit the temple at a later date to avoid crowding on January 22. Earlier, on Tuesday, Union Minister Anurag Thakur cleaned the premises of the Hanuman Temple at Connaught Place (CP) in the national capital, in response to PM Modi's call. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also picked up the broom and swept the floor at Lucknow's Hanuman Temple on Tuesday. "Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi has called upon all the countrymen to contribute towards cleanliness in the temples around them. Today, I went to Hanuman Setu temple in Lucknow and did Shramdaan under #SwachhTeerth campaign and got the privilege of serving Hanumanji," the Defence Minister posted from his official X handle. On Sunday, BJP national president JP Nadda launched a nationwide cleanliness drive. The drive, which will majorly involve the cleansing of temples, will continue till the opening of the Ram Mandir on January 22. PM Modi set the tone earlier, on Friday, as he was seen wielding the broom on the premises of the Kalaram Temple in Maharashtra's Nashik as part of a Swachchata Abhiyan (cleanliness campaign) ahead of the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony in Ayodhya. Visuals also showed PM Modi mopping the temple's floor. (ANI)
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