PRESIDENT TO ATTEND GANGA ARTI TODAY

President Kovind will arrive at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport here on Saturday afternoon and will stay at the BLW guesthouse

VARANASI: President Ramnath Kovind will attend the Ganga Arti at Dashashwamedh ghat on March 13, said arti organiser Sushant Mishra.

He said that special arrangements have been made for the arti.

Mishra said, “This is a matter of great joy that the president will participate in the Ganga Arti. Nine archaks (priests) will perform the arti, during which, 18 little girls will remain present as Riddhi Siddhi. We have made special arrangements for the arti on Saturday evening.”

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attended the Ganga Arti thrice. But the President will attend it for the first time. “This is special occasion for us”. The President will also offer prayers to Baba Kashi Vishwanath on the first day of his visit starting on March 13.

German president Frank Walter, Shinzo Abe as prime minister of Japan in 2015, former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh have also attended the Arti in past.

Cine stars including Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, and several industrialists have also attended the arti.

VARANASI: Preparations are in full swing here in view of President Ram Nath Kovind’s threeday proposed visit to eastern UP starting Saturday.

According to the officials aware of the development, the President will stay at BLW guest house in Varanasi. District magistrate Kaushalraj Sharma inspected the guest house and reviewed preparations there. He also inspected the central ground where a helipad is being made for the helicopter carrying the dignitary will land.

Sharma has instructed the guest house officials to ensure that all the rooms are well furnished. As per the DM, President Kovind will arrive at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport here on Saturday afternoon and will stay at the BLW guesthouse.

A protocol department official said on March 14, the President will visit Hans Deoraha Baba Ashram in Mirzapur. Road leading to Maa Vindhyavasini Temple is being cleaned as the President will also offer prayers at the temple. He will also visit Sonbhadra the same day.

In the evening, the President would come back to Varanasi and will attend Ganga Aarti. Special arrangements are being made in Varanasi for it.

He will also offer prayers to Baba Kashi Vishwanath during his stay in Varanasi. The President will go back to Delhi on March 15