PM Modi offers prayers at Somnath temple

Gir Somnath, Mar 2: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday offered prayers at the revered Somnath temple in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district on the second day of his three-day visit to his home state.

Modi performed darshan and prayed at the Shiva shrine, the first of the 12 jyotirlings, located in Prabhas Patan after visiting Vantara, an animal rescue, conservation and rehabilitation centre, in Jamnagar district during the day.

After the temple visit, Modi left for Sasan, the headquarters of Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, which is the only abode of the Asiatic lions, in the neighbouring Junagadh district.

The PM is scheduled to go on a lion safari and chair a meeting of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) at Sasan on Monday to mark World Wildlife Day, officials said.

Currently, Asiatic lions inhabit approximately 30,000 square kilometres across 53 talukas in 9 districts of Gujarat, said a government release.

Additionally, as part of a central project, a National Referral Center for Wildlife is being established on over 20.24 hectares of land at New Pipalya in Junagadh district, it said.

Moreover, a high-tech monitoring centre for wildlife tracking and a state-of-the-art hospital have also been set up in Sasan to strengthen conservation efforts, added the release.