A rare idol of Maa Annapurna that went missing from Kashi during the British era about a century back and was finally recovered from Canada, will be installed in Varanasi.
This idol is set to be transferred to Kashi Vishwanath Vishist Kshetra Vikas Parishad Board by the Archaeological Survey of India at a ceremony to be organized in Delhi on November 11.
The Uttar Pradesh government will take out a four-day Mata Annapurna Devi Yatra from New Delhi on Thursday. The Yatra will pass through Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Hathras, Aligarh, Hathras, Kasganj, Etah, Mainpuri, Kannauj, Kanpur, Unnao, Lucknow, Barabanki, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh and Jaunpur and reach Varanasi around 4:30 pm on November 14.
A day later, on the auspicious occasion of Devotthan Ekadashi, a grand function will be held at Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham and the idol will be placed at its new premises after performing appropriate rituals in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
In order to make the procession grand, preparations are being made in all these 18 districts. On the first day, the Yatra will reach Soron, Kasganj where it will stay for a night. The next day, the idol will reach Kanpur and on November 13, the procession will reach Ayodhya. In each district, the Yatra will be welcomed by local public representatives and minister in-charge of the district and the common people will also participate in it.
During his recent visit to Lucknow, Union Culture and Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy had said that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the USA, the path of bringing back the rare idol and 156 other artefacts was cleared and they would be brought to India soon.
Reddy also said that 42 rare idols and antiquities had been returned to the country during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014, whereas only 13 rare statues-paintings could be brought back between 1976 and 2013.
Stopovers of Yatra
November 11: Mohan Mandir, Ghaziabad, Dadri Nagar Shiv Mandir, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Durga Shakti Peeth Khurja, Bulandshahr, Ramlila Maidan, Aligarh, Hanuman Chowki, Hathras, and Soron, Kasganj,
November 12: Janata Durga Mandir, Etah, Lakhora, Mainpuri, Maa Annapurna Mandir Tirwa, Kannauj, Patkapur Mandir, Kanpur.
November 13: Jhandeswar Mandir, Unnao, Dakshin Mukhi Hanuman Mandir, Lucknow, Bhitaria Bypass, Barabanki, Hanuman Garhi, Ayodhya.
November 14: Durga Mandir Kasba KNIT, Meenakshi Mandir Pratapgarh, Daulatiya Mandir Jaunpur, Babatpur Chauraha and Shivpur Chowk, Varanasi.