On the second day of his Kerala visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed pooja and darshan at Guruvayur Temple on Wednesday. On the second day of his Kerala visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday performed pooja and darshan at Guruvayur Temple in Guruvayur. A video has surfaced showing the Prime Minister in an off-white-coloured traditional robe and being guided by local priests to the temple. After offering prayers, PM Modi also met people on the temple premises and blessed newly wedded couples.
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Later, the Prime Minister also offered prayers at Shree Ramaswami Temple at Triprayar in Thrissur district. The Prime Minister's visit to the Rama Swamy temple in Triprayar is significant at a time when the date for the highly anticipated 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya is nearing. He also attended a cultural programme - 'Malayalam Ramayan' - at the Ramaswami Temple.
PM to inaugurate key projects
The Prime Minister is slated to inaugurate projects worth more than Rs 4,000 crore in Kochi on Wednesday focussing on transforming India's ports, shipping, and waterways sectors, an official statement said.
Three major projects to be inaugurated:
- The New Dry Dock (NDD)
- The International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) of Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL)
- The LPG Import Terminal of Indian Oil Corporation Limited
About NDD, ISRF and LPG Import Terminal
The Indian Navy's Information Storage and Retrieval Facility (ISRF) and the New Dry Dock Project mark a substantial advancement in India's ship repair and shipbuilding capabilities, solidifying its prominent position in the global maritime sector. According to an official statement, the establishment of the LPG Import Terminal is set to enhance India's energy infrastructure significantly, ensuring a consistent supply of LPG and benefiting numerous households and businesses in the surrounding region.
The New Dry Dock, constructed at a cost of Rs 1,799 crores on the existing premises of Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi, stands as a flagship project, showcasing India's engineering prowess and project management capabilities, as highlighted in the statement. "This one-of-a-kind 310-meter-long stepped dry dock, with a width of 75/60 meters, depth of 13 meters and a draught of up to 9.5 metres, is one of the largest marine infrastructures in the region. The New Dry Dock project has incorporated the latest technology and innovations to ensure efficiency, safety, and environmental sustainability," the statement added.
Significance of New Dry Dock
It should be mentioned here that the New Dry Dock features heavy ground loading and will position India with advanced capabilities to handle strategic assets like future aircraft carriers up to 70,000T displacement as also large commercial vessels including Capesize & Suezmax vessels, Jack-up rigs, LNG vessels etc, thus eliminating India's dependency on foreign nations for emergency national requirements.
(With inputs from ANI)
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