Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe will visit ‘spiritual capital’ of India-Varanasi on Saturday, December 12.
Abe, who is on a three-day visit to India, will take part in ‘Ganga Arti’ along with Modi. ‘Ganga Arti’ is a lavish spectacle in itself, a beautiful ritual of worship of the Holy river Ganga performed everyday at the Dashashwamedh ghat.
Modi is likely to present artifacts prepared by the artisans of Varanasi to Abe.
The visit assumes significance as it comes against the backdrop of Partner City Agreement between Kyoto and Varanasi, Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency, signed by the two leaders during the Prime Minister’s visit to Japan in August last year.
The Agreement- also called the ‘Kashi-Kyoto pact’ intends to provide assistance to the temple town in overcoming problems of traffic congestion, poor sanitation and crumbling infrastructure while preserving its heritage.
Officials of the Japanese Embassy have been camping in the city for the past few days to take stock of preparations and security arrangements for the visit of Abe.
A gigantic make-shift stage has been erected on the river bed with the help of pontoons and a music system is being installed with special permission from the Allahabad High Court. Army and Navy personnel would be guarding the make-shift stage from where the Premiers will enjoy a panoramic view of the event.
The ancient temple town, situated less than 15 kms from Sarnath where Buddha delivered his first sermon upon attaining enlightenment, boasts of a special place in the religious and cultural consciousness of Japan as well as most of the South East Asian countries with sizeable Buddhist populations.
