Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit at Triprayar Sree Ramaswamy Temple, in Thrissur district, Kerala.
Credit: PTI
Thrissur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at the famous Triprayar Sree Ramaswamy Temple in the Central Kerala district of Thrissur on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister, after attending the wedding ceremony of actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi's daughter at the Lord Krishna Temple in nearby Guruvayur, offered prayers at the Sree Ramaswamy temple situated on the bank of the Karuvannur river, also known as Theevra river.
Arriving at a helipad in Valapad around 9.45 am after offering prayers at the Guruvayur temple, Prime Minister Modi then made his way to the Triprayar temple, just a few kilometres away.
At the Valapad helipad and along the route to the temple, hundreds of BJP supporters and workers had gathered since early morning to greet Modi.
Along the route to the temple, the people gathered on both sides of the road showered his sedately moving vehicle with flowers, waved BJP flags and chanted his name.
Both sides of the road were decorated with streamers in the colours of BJP.
At the temple, Modi, dressed in the traditional attire of 'mundu' (dhoti) and 'veshti' (white shawl), also carried out the 'meen oottu' (fish feeding) ritual there.
He also attended a 'veda archana' and 'bhajana' by children inside the temple premises.
Spending more than an hour at the temple, he later proceeded to Kochi, where he will take part in public and party functions.
While leaving the Triprayar temple, Modi stood on the footboard of his vehicle to wave at the people gathered on the roadsides for one more glimpse of the PM and bid him farewell.
The Triprayar temple is dedicated to Lord Ram, the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu, depicted with four arms holding a conch, a discus, a bow, and a garland.
This visit by Prime Minister Modi follows his recent remarks in Ayodhya about Kerala's famous Nalambalam yatra ceremony, a pilgrimage to the abode of Lord Ram and his brothers Bharat, Lakshman, and Shatrughan.
This yatra is held in the southern state during the Malayalam month of Karkidakam.
The Triprayar temple is renowned for the Nalambalam yatra, and worshipping at these temples on a single day in the Malayalam month of Karkidakam is considered auspicious, drawing many devotees.
The Prime Minister's visit to Kerala's Sree Ramaswamy Temple holds special significance as it aligns with the consecration of the Lord Ram Temple in Ayodhya scheduled for January 22.