PM Modi to visit Kalaram Temple in Maharashtra's Nashik on Friday

Sources said that the PM will visit the Kala Ram temple where he will also perform Mahaaarti of Godavari which is famous as South Ganga in the southern states. The PM will later inaugurate the National Youth Conference on the sidelines of which Ayushman health cards will be distributed as 'prasad; among the devotees.

Nashik: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a road show in Maharashtra's Nashik on Friday (January 12) on the occasion of the National Youth Conference. Sources said that during his visit, PM Modi will first have darshan of Kala Ram and will also perform Mahaaarti of Godavari which is famous as South Ganga. Later, the PM will inaugurate the National Youth Conference. With regard to the itinerary, PM Modi will land at Nashik airport at 12 noon, where he will take a helicopter to Nilgiri Bagh ground in Sambhajinagar.

The PM will hold a road show from Hotel Chilli to Sant Janardhan Swamy Ashram. From Sambhajinagar Naka, the roadshow will proceed to Ramkund via Old Adgaon Naka Panchavati Malegaon stand. After performing Mahaaarti of Mother Godavari, the PM will visit the Shri Kalaram Temple and recite Rama Raksha there.

During Modi's visit to the Kalaram Temple, devotees will be restricted from entering the area for some time for security reasons. The Prime Minister will later inaugurate the National Youth Conference at the venue in Tapovan. On he occasion of the National Youth Conference, Ayushman health cards will be given as 'prasad' at every religious place in the country.

Ayushman Bharat Mission Maharashtra Committee Chairman Omprakash Shete informed that in the state, the campaign to distribute the health cards will start from Shri Kalaram Temple in Panchvati. Thete said that a room is being set up in the temple premises and Ayushman health card will be generated in the mobile phone of the devotees after their registration and darshan while going to the temple on the basis of the details provided by the devotees.

Shete said, like Shri Kalaram Temple, Ayushman Health Card distribution is also planned in Trimbakeshwar Temple. Sri Kalaram Temple of Nashik is an ancient temple with Hemadpanthi construction. Ancient idols of Lord Shri Rama, Lakshmana and Mother Sita are enshrined in this temple. Tourists from all over the country come to visit this Kalaram temple.

Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had himself led the Satyagraha to get entry to the temple for Dalits. It is said that Prime Minister Modi has chosen this temple for darshan as it has many historical aspects. According to the legend, Lord Ram lived in Panchavati for twenty-two years. This place is very important from the point of view of Vaishnavas.

Peshwa Sardar Ranganath Odhekar who was Jahagiri at Odha Nashik Road was ordered to construct the temple by Matoshree Gopikabai of Madhavrao Peshwa. During this time Odhekar is said to have had a dream of Rama saying 'You should restore the temple'. Earlier there was a wooden temple in the place where Kalaram temple is located.

The temple was completed between 1778 and 1790. At that time, the construction cost of this temple was 23 lakh rupees.