PM to visit TN, Pondy on Mar 1; offer prayers at Tirupparankundram Sri Subramanyaswamy temple

Chennai, Feb 28 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Saturday night ahead of his one-day packed visit to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on March 1 to inaugurate a series of initiatives.

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, Union Minister L Murugan, state Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, BJP state president Nainar Nagendran, senior leader Tamilisai Soundararajan and party leaders received the Prime Minister at the airport. He later left to the Lok Bhavan here for a night's halt.

The Union Territory administration has banned the flying of drones in view of the Prime Minister's visit. Police security has been beefed up in Puducherry and Madurai ahead of his visit.

While in Madurai, he will visit the Arulmigu Subramanyaswamy Temple in Tirupparankundram and offer prayers.

It may be recalled that a controversy had erupted last year during the Karthigai Deepam festival over devotees lighting a lamp atop a deepathoon (stone pillar), after local authorities resisted the move.

The Madras High Court, Madurai Bench, later allowed Hindus to light the lamp atop the deepathoon located on Tirupparankundram hill, near a dargah, and faulted local officials for their apprehension of a potential conflict between communities.

Nainar Nagendran has appealed to devotees to circumambulate (undertake a Girivalam) around Tirupparankundram hill on March 2 to highlight the demand for lighting the lamp atop the stone pillar.

Kadeshwara Subramaniam, state president of Hindu Munnani, has also urged devotees to undertake the Girivalam on March 2, coinciding with the auspicious Magha star in the Tamil month of Maasi.

"The Magha nakshatra, which falls on a full moon day, is auspicious for Lord Murugan. We urge devotees to visit Tirupparankundram hill, where the Kashi Vishwanathar Temple and Subrahmanya Swamy Temple are located, and seek divine blessings," Subramaniam said in a statement.

He added that the Girivalam is being organised by Murugan devotees for universal well-being.

Nagendran said the PM would address a rally of the NDA in Madurai on Sunday.

"Accompanied by Union Minister of State L Murugan, I visited the Meenakshi Sundareshwar Temple and prayed for the success of the NDA rally," he said in a post on 'X' earlier in the day.

Ahead of Modi’s visit, BJP members launched a hashtag campaign, “#ModiComesNDAWins.” Tamil Nadu BJP election in-charge Piyush Goyal said the PM, along with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, will address a massive rally in Madurai and expose the "failures" of the DMK government, highlighting how the DMK, Congress, and their allies have repeatedly hurt the sentiments of Tamils and ignored Tamil culture.

He said the NDA aims to bring good governance, development, prosperity, and respect for Tamil culture and language back to the state, which has seen illustrious leaders like former Chief Ministers M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.

"We want to restore the good governance and respect for women that Jayalalithaa ji provided to the people of Tamil Nadu," Goyal told reporters in Madurai.

He added that during the PM’s visit, Modi will visit the Lord Subrahmanyaswamy Temple, where the long-delayed lighting of the lamp has finally been allowed. Goyal accused the ruling DMK of "blocking" the auspicious ceremony.

"It is a shame that the DMK government did not allow this auspicious ceremony and put roadblocks, which have hurt Tamil pride, culture, and its people," he claimed.

Goyal exuded confidence that the people of Tamil Nadu would vote for the NDA in the upcoming Assembly elections.

During his visit to Puducherry, the PM will inaugurate, dedicate to the nation, and lay the foundation stone for development projects worth over Rs 2,700 crore, aimed at strengthening infrastructure, urban services, industrial development, education, healthcare, and sustainable growth.

In Madurai, he will inaugurate infrastructure projects worth over Rs 4,400 crore and lay the foundation stone for the four-laning of the Marakkanam–Puducherry section of NH-332A and the Paramakudi–Ramanathapuram section of NH-87 at around 3 pm.

He will also inaugurate eight redeveloped railway stations in Tamil Nadu, dedicate the Chennai Beach–Chennai Egmore fourth line, and address the gathering. Around 4 pm, Modi will visit the Arulmigu Subramanyaswamy Temple in Tirupparankundram to offer prayers.

According to his schedule, Modi will inaugurate projects in Puducherry at around 11.45 am, before travelling to Madurai for the official events beginning at 3 pm.

Key initiatives to be inaugurated include the launch of e-buses under the PM e-Bus Seva initiative, the Integrated Command and Control Centre under the Smart City Mission, tenements for Economically Weaker Sections under the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS) initiative, and critical sewerage and water supply projects.

The PM will also dedicate to the nation the 750-acre Karasur–Sedarapet Industrial Estate, which will house a Pharma Park, Textile Park, IT Park, a state-of-the-art research and development centre of IIT Madras, and advanced healthcare facilities of JIPMER, providing a major boost to industrial growth and employment.

At Madurai, he will inaugurate three new Akashvani FM relay transmitters at Kumbakonam, Yercaud, and Vellore to expand regional coverage, ensure uninterrupted FM broadcasting, and enhance access to public broadcasting services across multiple districts. PTI COR JSP KH