Ahmedabad, Jan 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin a three-day visit to Gujarat on January 10, during which he will offer prayers at the Somnath temple and hold bilateral discussions with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Gandhinagar, officials announced.
A key highlight of the trip will be PM Modi leading the ‘Shaurya Yatra’, a one-kilometre procession featuring 108 horses, organised as part of the ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv’.
PM Modi is also slated to inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Rajkot.
State minister and government spokesperson Jitu Vaghani said the Prime Minister will arrive at the Somnath temple near Veraval on the evening of January 10 to participate in the Swabhiman Parv — a year-long celebration honouring the resilience of Indian civilisation and the historic rebuilding of the Somnath shrine, repeatedly destroyed by invaders since Mahmud of Ghazni’s assault nearly a millennium ago.
After reaching Somnath, PM Modi will attend a drone show at the temple complex and chair a meeting of the Shree Somnath Trust, which he heads.
On January 11, PM Modi will offer prayers at the shrine, pay tribute at the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and lead the Shaurya Yatra to the venue of his public address later in the day.
He will then travel to Rajkot to inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) for the Kutch and Saurashtra regions.
The two-day event, to be held at Marwadi University on January 11–12, aims to showcase emerging economic, industrial and cultural opportunities in the region.
Later that evening, the Prime Minister will visit the Sabarmati Ashram, which is undergoing a major restoration and expansion.
On the morning of January 12, PM Modi will receive German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ahmedabad.
The two leaders are scheduled to visit the Sabarmati Ashram together and participate in the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront.
PM Modi will then take a metro ride from Ahmedabad’s Old High Court station to Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar to mark the launch of a new metro stretch connecting Sachivalaya and Mahatma Mandir.
In the evening, PM Modi and Merz will hold delegation-level talks at Mahatma Mandir, followed by a joint press statement.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the two leaders will also interact with business and industry representatives and exchange views on regional and global developments.
–IANS
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