Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], November 12 (ANI): Security and administrative preparations have been ramped up at the Ambaji Temple in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit.
As part of the preliminary security protocols, a comprehensive rehearsal was conducted at the temple complex on Wednesday, accompanied by checks by a dog squad.
The security review comes ahead of Prime Minister Modi's visit to Gujarat to offer prayers and perform darshan.
Meanwhile, Gujarat’s Deputy Chief Minister, Harsh Sanghavi, also visited the temple premises earlier in the day to review logistical arrangements and offered prayers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Karnataka and Gujarat on November 13 and 14.
In a post on X, PM Modi said he is looking forward to visiting Bengaluru and Mysuru on Friday (November 13), where he will participate in the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Prashanti Kutiram, inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for development projects worth over Rs 15,000 crore in Bengaluru, and inaugurate the COSMOS-Mysuru Planetarium.
"Namaskara Karnataka! Looking forward to being in Bengaluru and Mysuru tomorrow, 13th November. The programmes include: Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Prashanti Kutiram in Bengaluru. Inauguration and laying of foundation stones of development works worth over Rs. 15,000 crore in Bengaluru. Inauguration of the COSMOS-Mysuru Planetarium," the post read.
The Prime Minister will inaugurate four redeveloped railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme - Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road.
The redeveloped stations will offer improved passenger amenities and serve as city centres, promoting local commercial activities and tourism in the region, a press release said. He will dedicate to the nation the 45 km Bagalkot-Wandal railway line doubling section, forming part of the 284 km Gadag-Hospet Doubling Project.
The section will improve passenger and freight movement, support local trade and facilitate coal supply to the Kudgi NTPC plant.He will also dedicate to the nation the electrification of the 55 km Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat railway section.
Passing through one of India's most challenging railway terrains, the project marks a significant engineering achievement. With its completion, the entire Bengaluru-Mangaluru rail route is now fully electrified.
PM Modi will flag off the Bengaluru-Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express, providing faster and modern rail connectivity between Bengaluru, Coastal Karnataka and Goa. The service will connect key destinations including Hassan, Sakleshpur, Mangaluru, Udupi, Murdeshwar, Gokarna and Karwar before reaching Madgaon, benefiting passengers and boosting tourism in the region, the release said.
In Mysuru, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the COSMOS-Mysuru Planetarium, marking a significant advancement in planetarium technology and astronomy education in the country. Built by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), COSMOS-Mysuru is the first LED Dome planetarium in India.
Envisaged as an astronomy education and training centre, it is located on the campus of the University of Mysore at the foothills of Chamundi Hills, the release said.
The state-of-the-art facility features a 15-metre tilted dome comprising around 6,150 panels with 4.2 crore individual LEDs. Unlike conventional planetariums that use projectors to display images on a passive dome, its LED panels can be controlled in real time, offering an immersive visual experience and new possibilities for astronomy education.
The Sky Theatre will showcase professionally produced astronomy programmes, along with an in-house film exploring the connection between the history of Mysuru and astronomy.
The shows will be available in Kannada, English and Hindi. The centre will also house exhibition halls, a museum featuring astronomy models and artefacts, a lecture hall, a training centre and interactive outdoor exhibits.
The centre's activities will complement the Indian Institute of Astrophysics' research, operation of multi-wavelength telescope facilities across India and in space, development of future astronomical facilities and national-level outreach programmes. (ANI)
Gujarat: Security intensified at Ambaji Temple following dog squad sweep ahead of PM's visit
