TN Governor RN Ravi offers prayers at Ranganathaswamy temple in Tiruchy

TIRUCHY: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi offered prayers at Ranganathaswamy temple located in the town of Srirangam in Tiruchirapalli district on Tuesday.

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to take up cleaning of temples and other places of worship across the country ahead of the opening of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, RN Ravi and his wife Lakshmi cleaned the premises of Ramanathaswamy temple.

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi highlighted the importance of temples in our culture and traditions.

"For thousands of years, temples have remained the centre of our lives. When a village is settled, first a temple is built. A village is developed around a temple. Temples have been a centre of gravity in our lives. But this sense got weakened over time due to colonisation and subjugation."

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi elaborated on the importance of cleaning temples and how the devotees are responsible for the same.

"Today, the entire country is Rammaya with the coming of the magnificent temple at Ayodhya. It is the responsibility of people and devotees to clean temples and not just the temple administration. We come to temples to pray and seek peace and we must clean them too."

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his cleanliness initiative.

"PM Modi has given the message of cleanliness all around. Cleanliness in houses, roads, public and private places. Today we visited the Ranganathaswamy temple. We did what we were expected to as a part of our tradition. Cleaning the temples should be our regular endeavour."

On Tuesday, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha participated in the cleanliness drive of different temples in his constituency, Bordowali.

On Sunday, BJP president JP Nadda launched a nationwide cleanliness drive at temples. The initiative was launched focusing on temples and will continue until January 22, the day of the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lala at the Ayodhya Ram temple.

Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleaned the premises of the Kalaram Temple in Maharashtra's Nashik as part of the Swachchata Abhiyan campaign. Visuals showed the Prime Minister with a mop and bucket mopping the floor of the temple.

The PM appealed to the people to carry out Swachhata activities (cleanliness drives) at temples across the country ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Delivering his inaugural address at the 27th National Youth Festival in Nashik, the Prime Minister reiterated his call for cleanliness campaigns, urging citizens to clean pilgrimage places and temples across the country on 'Pran Pratishtha' day of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the grand temple on January 22.