Udupi district witnessed a festive atmosphere on Friday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow kicked off, with thousands of people lining the streets and cheering as his convoy passed. The procession route has been draped in saffron flags, buntings and barricades, creating a vibrant scene across the coastal temple town.
While addressing the Laksha Kantha Gita Parayana event at Sri Krishna Matha said, "Coming to Udupi is very special for me. Udupi has been the karmabhoomi of the Jana Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) model of good governance. In 1968, the people of Udupi elected Vs Acharya of the Jana Sangh to the Udupi Municipal Corporation. With this, Udupi laid the foundation of a new governance model. The cleanliness drive we are witnessing today was adopted by Udupi five decades ago. Udupi began to develop a model of water supply and drainage system in 70s."
Security deployment across Udupi
Authorities put in place one of the largest security arrangements the district has ever seen. Over 3,000 police personnel have been deployed, including ten SPs, 27 DSPs, 49 inspectors, 127 sub-inspectors, 232 assistant SIs, 1,608 constables, and 39 women staff.
Additionally, six Karnataka State Reserve Police platoons and six Quick Response Teams are stationed throughout the town. Bomb detection and dog squads conducted checks along the route between the helipad and the Math, while additional surveillance has been set up at Adi Udupi, Bannanje bus stand and the Krishna Math parking area.
At the 800-year-old Sri Krishna Math, elaborate preparations were underway. Paryaya Puttige Math seer Sugunendra Teertha Swamiji said the PM will take part in the Laksha Kantha Geetha Parayana, where one lakh devotees chant the Bhagavad Gita together, and will inaugurate the new Suvarna Teertha Mantapa.
PM calls the event a special gathering
Ahead of the visit, the Prime Minister posted on X that he was “honoured” to attend the Laksha Kantha Geetha Parayana.
“This is a special gathering that brings together people from different sections of society for a recital of the Gita. This Matha has a very special significance in our cultural life. Inspired by Sri Madhvacharya, it has been at the forefront of serving society,” the PM wrote.