Varanasi: On the birthday of Kashi MP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi , defence minister Rajnath Singh , Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath , Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, Union minister Chirag Paswan and BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary offered prayers and performed a special ritual at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple on Thursday.
Rajnath, Yogi, Naidu and Paswan then cut four 19-kg laddoos, weighing 76 kg in total, to mark PM Modi’s 76th birthday. On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, City South MLA Neelkanth Tiwari joined 76 batuks (students of Vedic studies) in performing milk abhishek and offering prayers to Maa Ganga amid Vedic chants.
The defence minister said prayers were offered for Modi’s long life and good health, and for India’s march towards the goal of Viksit Bharat. CM Yogi said he prayed that Modi continues to lead India for a long time, guiding the country towards self-reliance, security and becoming a developed nation. Tiwari said the celebration reflected Kashi’s traditions of faith, service and spirituality, linking public welfare with devotion to the sacred river on the occasion.
After performing jalabhishek and aarti, the leaders prayed for the Prime Minister’s healthy, successful and long life, as well as for the prosperity of the states and the nation. The laddoos were distributed among sanitation workers serving at the temple. Prayers were offered for the Prime Minister’s good health, long life and prosperity. Devotees and local residents gathered with photographs of Modi as the riverfront resonated with hymns and chants invoking Goddess Ganga. UP minister Anil Rajbhar led a mass blood donation drive at Medisure and Bhagwan Buddha Charitable Blood Centre, Chandmari, near the Ring Road overbridge. Rajbhar described blood donation as one of the highest forms of humanitarian service, saying it can save the life of a person in urgent need. He urged citizens to donate voluntarily for patients. After encouraging and thanking donors, the minister distributed fruits and prayed for Modi’s good health, happiness and long life. Anganwadi workers also joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday celebrations in their own way. At Jaitpura Rasulpura, workers gathered at the centre and cut a cake to mark the occasion. Jyoti Sahu, Sunita Pandey, Pratima Pandey, Nisha Kushwaha, Sushila Devi, Shabnam and others attended the celebration.