Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took a holy dip at the 'Sangam' and offered prayers at the ongoing Kumbh at Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, after which he washed feet of sanitation workers and lauded their efforts to ensure a Swacch Bharat.
The Prime Minister also paid tributes to the NDRF personnel who lost his life saving a pilgrim.
Modi who was received by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.earlier today performed the 'Ganga Aarti'.
"Had the good fortune of taking a holy dip at the #Kumbh. Prayed for the well being of 130 crore Indians," the Prime Minister tweeted after stepping into the river waist deep in water and offered prayers with folded hands.
He also washed the feet of sanitation workers at the 'Swachh Kumbh, Swachh Aabhaar' programme here. "I would like to pay tributes to Rajendra Gautam from NDRF who saved lives of pilgrims at the cost of his own."
Gautam, who sustained a severe spinal injury while rescuing an elderly pilgrim from drowning at Kumbh Mela passed away at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital where he was airlifted for treatment.
Meanwhile, in his speech, Modi lauded the efforts of the sanitation workers. "There are many kinds of saints here, and among those, there are my brothers and sisters who have worked tirelessly to make this Kumbh a success, they are my hard-working 'Karmyogis,'" he said.
Talking about washing the feet of the workers, the Prime Minister said he would cherish the moment for his entire life. "There is an unforgettable moment in every person's life, today I experienced that moment in my life while washing the feet of sanitation workers," Modi said.
The Prime Minister also reiterated the government's commitment to cleaning the Ganges: "We are committed to ensuring the cleanliness of Ganga. In this regard, we have shut 32 sewers that use to drain impure water in the river."
The Prime Minister also spoke about the 'Namami Gange Mission. "Recently, I was given the Seoul Peace Price in which I got Rs 1.30 crore. That amount has been given for cleaning Ganga. The amount after auctioning the presents that I have received in the past four and a half years as the Prime Minister will also be used in the service of Maa Ganga," Modi said.
He also informed that the country is moving towards declaring itself open-defecation free before October 2, 2019. "I believe that you 'swacchagrahi' of Prayagraj have come forward as an inspiration for the entire nation," he said addressing sanitation workers.
Kumbh Mela is the largest human congregation in the world, with over 130 million pilgrims expected to participate in the festival with the belief that taking a dip in the holy water of Ganges River will pave the way for their salvation and would rid them of their sins. The 55-day long Kumbh Mela will end on March 4.
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