Modi gifts sacred kalasha for South Africa's first Annapoorna Devi Temple
Landmark moment
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers a sacred Kalasha (holy pot) with ‘Shree Anna’ or millets of India and South Africa, to Swami Abhedananda, to be placed at the in Chinmaya Annapoorna.Devi Temple in Durban. As part of the G20 Summit, Modi met with community leaders in Johannesburg, yesterday
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AS PART of the G20 Summit, in an exclusive session with community leaders in Johannesburg, the Honourable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi interacted closely with Swami Abhedananda, head of Chinmaya Mission, in South Africa.
Swamiji apprised Modi about the visionary work being done by members of the Indian community through Chinmaya Mission South Africa, particularly the ‘Nourish to Flourish’ project which feeds healthy meals to over 2000 underprivileged schoolchildren and families each day for free.
Modi was also informed of the world’s-first dedicated Annapoorna Devi Temple outside the Indian subcontinent, being consecrated on December 1, in Chatsworth, by the Chinmaya Mission.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official tweet noting the interaction with Swami Abhedananda from Chinmaya Mission and the handover of a Kalasha for the Chinmaya Annapoorna Devi Temple in Durban
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Goddess Annapoorna is the deity of nourishment who feeds all creatures in the universe. Her grace is being invoked to facilitate the wider reach of the feeding project to more and more beneficiaries.
Modi expressed his appreciation for the good work of Chinmaya Mission South Africa and its ongoing spiritual and social initiatives.
With great admiration and reverence, Modi received an ornate Kalasha (holy pot) filled with ‘Shree Anna’ (containing millets from India and South Africa), which he offered it back to Swami Abhedananda to be placed in the temple, as a mark of his gracious support and goodwill towards the newly inaugurated Annapoorna Devi Temple and the ‘Nourish to Flourish’ project.
This is a landmark moment for the local Indian and diaspora communities, as well as for the worldwide Chinmaya Mission, and a mark of India and South Africa’s comprehensive partnership marked by shared culture and transformational contributions, the organisation said in the statement.