Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Khelo India Youth Games 2023 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Thursday in presence of Chief Minister MK Stalin and several other dignitaries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be visiting some Prominent religious structures in Tamil Nadu tomorrow and the day after, January 20 and 21.
The visit to various temples by PM Modi comes ahead of the The consecration of the Ram temple ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22 which will be attended by him and thousands of other invitees.
Khelo India Games
Over 5,500 athletes will take part in 26 competitive sports from January 19-31 in the Khelo India Games taking place at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Tamil Nadu's Chennai. The Games will be played across four cities of Tamil Nadu - Chennai, Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore.
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PM Modi will be inaugurating the games in the presence of Governor RN Ravi, and Chief Minister MK Stalin.
This is the first time that Khelo India Youth Games are being held in South India, a PMO statement said.
Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Nisith Pramanik, and Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udayanidhi Stalin will also participate.
The competition in various disciplines including football, kabaddi, volleyball, Judo, weightlifting, squash, archery, boxing, badminton, table tennis, cycling, gymnastics, swimming, tennis, shooting, yoga, wrestling etc., will be held in Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore, and Madurai.
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Silambam, a traditional sport of Tamil Nadu, is being introduced as a demo sport for the first time in the history of Khelo India Youth Games, the release said. More than 1,000 referees and 1,200 volunteers will be involved.
"The unwavering commitment of the Prime Minister to promote grassroots sports development and nurture budding sports talent resulted in the start of Khelo India Youth Games. Prime Minister will be the Chief Guest for the opening ceremony of the 6th Khelo India Youth Games 2023 which will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai," a Prime Minister's Office (PMO) statement said.
Five-tier Security Cover In Chennai For Modi's Visit
Chennai is under a five-tier security cover for Friday and Saturday for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, with over 22,000 personnel deployed and a 'no-fly zone' declared for drones in the city.
At the airport, police have restricted contract staff from entering the runway and regular staff have been advised to use their identity cards to access the airport premises, a Times Of India report said.
PM Modi will be going from Chennai airport to INS Adyar near Napier Bridge in a chopper and then proceed towards Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to inaugurate the 6th Khelo India Youth Games 2023 in an open vehicle.
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For this, police are diverting vehicular movement and monitoring the route from high-rise buildings along the stretch on Friday, the report said.
Combing of lodges, hotels, guest houses and serviced apartments was undertaken by security personnel. The city and state police will be on high alert at all the places where the Prime Minister will go to throughout his visit.
The Prime Minister's Special Protection Group (SPG), led by Inspector General Lava Kumar, arrived and reviewed the security arrangements put in place at the airport, Raj Bhavan, where PM Modi will stay, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
PM Modi to Visit Multiple Temples In Tamil Nadu Jan 20, 21
PM Modi will visit some significant temples in Tamil Nadu on January 20 and 21, his office said on Thursday. The visit to various temples by the prime minister comes ahead of the Ram temple 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22 which will be attended by him and a host of other dignitaries.
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January 20: PM Modi will participate in a programme at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli at around 11 am. PM Modi will also listen to various scholars reciting verses from the Kamba Ramayanam in the temple there, the PMO said in a statement.
The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, located in Srirangam, Trichy, is one of the most ancient temple complexes in the country and finds mention in various ancient texts including the Puranas and the Sangam era texts. It is famous for its architectural grandeur and its numerous iconic gopurams. The main deity worshipped here is Sri Ranganatha Swamy, a reclining form of Bhagwaan Vishnu.
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Thereafter, PM Modi will reach Rameswaram at around 2 pm and perform 'darshan' and 'pooja' in Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple.
In his visit to temples in the last few days, PM Modi has been attending Ramayana chanting in various languages (such as Marathi, Malayalam and Telugu). PM Modi will be attending a programme -- 'Shri Ramayana Paryana' -- in Rameswaram temple as well.
In the programme, eight different traditional Mandalis will recite the Sanskrit, Awadhi, Kashmiri, Gurumukhi, Assamese, Bengali, Maithili, and Gujarati Ramkathas, recounting the episode of Lord Ram's return to Ayodhya, the statement said.
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"This is in line with Bharatiya cultural ethos and bonding, which is at the core of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat'," the statement said.
In Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple, Prime Minister Modi will also participate in Bhajan Sandhya, where multiple devotional songs would be sung at the temple complex in the evening.
January 21, PM Modi will perform 'darshan and pooja' at Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Dhanushkodi. Near Dhanushkodi, PM Modi will also visit Arichal Munai, which is said to be the place from where the Ram Setu was built.
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The Kothandaramaswamy Temple is dedicated to Sri Kothandarama Swamy. The name Kothandarama means Rama with the bow.
It is said that this is where Vibhishana first met Shri Rama and asked him for refuge. Some legends also say that this is the place where Sri Rama conducted the coronation of Vibhishana.
(with PTI inputs)
