Udupi district was transformed into a sea of saffron and festive fervour on Friday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow made its way through the coastal temple town. Thousands of residents lined the streets, cheering enthusiastically and turning the procession into a grand public spectacle.
The procession corridor adorned with flags, buntings, and layered security barricades as the Prime Minister’s convoy moved from the helipad toward the historic Sri Krishna Math, which was meticulously prepared for his arrival.
One of the largest security deployments witnessed in Udupi was put in place for the high-profile visit. More than 3,000 police personnel have been pressed into service, including ten SPs, 27 DSPs, 49 inspectors, 127 sub-inspectors, 232 assistant sub-inspectors, 1,608 constables and 39 women staff.
In addition, six platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police and six Quick Response Teams were deployed across the town. Bomb detection and dog squads carried out combing operations along the route, while additional surveillance has been established at Adi Udupi, Bannanje bus stand and the Krishna Math parking zone.
At the 800-year-old Sri Krishna Math, preparations have reached a ceremonial peak. Paryaya Puttige Math seer Sugunendra Teertha Swamiji said the Prime Minister would participate in the Laksha Kantha Geetha Parayana, a collective chanting of the Bhagavad Gita by one lakh devotees, and inaugurate the new Suvarna Teertha Mantapa.
“He will first offer floral tributes to saint-poet Kanakadasa and then unveil the golden covering placed over the Kanakana Kindi,” the seer said.
The Prime Minister will also receive a Poorna Kumbha welcome and have darshan of Lord Sri Krishna, Mukhyaprana Devaru, and the Suvarna Paduke. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister Bairathi Suresh, Dharmadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade, and seers from the Ashta Maths are expected to attend the ceremony.
Ahead of his visit, the Prime Minister posted on X that he felt “honoured” to attend what he described as a special spiritual gathering.
“This is a special gathering that brings together people from different sections of society for a recital of the Gita. This Matha has a very special significance in our cultural life,” he wrote, adding that the institution has long served society through the teachings of Sri Madhvacharya.