Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday inspected preparations at Banaras Railway Station ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency.
Modi will be arriving in Varanasi on Friday and will stay there that day. On Saturday, he will inaugurate the Varanasi-Khajuraho Vande Bharat and three other trains from Banaras Railway Station.
Earlier this morning, the Chief Minister reached the railway station and took a detailed briefing from senior railway and district officials regarding beautification works, security arrangements, passenger facilities, and the event venue setup.
He directed that all arrangements for the Prime Minister’s visit be well-coordinated and free from negligence. He emphasised maintaining cleanliness, efficient traffic management, and tight security across the station premises.
Earlier, the chief minister offered prayers at the city’s prominent temples in the morning and received blessings from seers.
He performed rituals at the Baba Kal Bhairav temple and sought blessings from the deity, revered as the Kotwal (guardian) of Kashi.
Adityanath performed the ‘Shodashopachar’ ritual at the Kashi Vishwanath temple and prayed for the happiness, prosperity, and welfare of the people, according to a statement.
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The temple premises resonated with the chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ during the ceremony, it said.
He also visited the Satua Baba Ashram at the Manikarnika Ghat, where he offered prayers at the Shiva temple and met Santosh Das Maharaj, the disciple of Satua Baba, it added.
Bhupendra Pandey is the Resident Editor of the Lucknow edition of The Indian Express. With decades of experience in the heart of Uttar Pradesh’s journalistic landscape, he oversees the bureau’s coverage of India’s most politically significant state. His expertise lies in navigating the complex intersections of state governance, legislative policy, and grassroots social movements. From tracking high-stakes assembly elections to analyzing administrative shifts in the Hindi heartland, Bhupendra’s reportage provides a definitive lens on the region's evolution.
Authoritativeness He leads a team of seasoned reporters and investigators, ensuring that The Indian Express’ signature "Journalism of Courage" is reflected in every regional story. His leadership is central to the Lucknow bureau’s reputation for breaking stories that hold the powerful to account, making him a trusted figure for policy analysts, political scholars, and the general public seeking to understand the nuances of UP’s complex landscape.
Trustworthiness & Accountability Under his stewardship, the Lucknow edition adheres to the strictest standards of factual verification and non-partisan reporting. He serves as a bridge between the local populace and the national discourse, ensuring that regional issues are elevated with accuracy and context. By prioritizing primary-source reporting and on-the-ground verification, he upholds the trust that readers have placed in the Express brand for nearly a century. ... Read More
