Modi celebrates ‘Dev Deepawali’ in Varanasi

Varanasi (UP), Nov 30 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi lit the first ‘diya’ on ‘Dev Deepawali’ and set off celebrations for the festival that is marked by lighting lakhs of earthen lamps on the banks of the Ganga here.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that ‘Dev Deepawali’ is special this year because it marks the return of ‘Maa Annapurna’.
“The statue of Maa Annapurna which was stolen from India over 100 years ago is coming back to the country. This is a fortunate moment for Kashi. If this effort was made earlier, many such statues would have been brought back to India. However, some people’s thinking is different. For us, inheritance means heritage. For some, inheritance means their own family,” he said.
The Pime Minister said that the power of Kashi did not allow it to change even when a lot changed elsewhere amid the Corona pandemic.
Modi began his speech with a smattering of Bhojpuri and wished people ‘Kartik Purnima’ and ‘Gurpurab’.
He said, “People of Kashi are live Shiva and Devi. Today, these lamps are also lit for those who have surrendered their life for the country. I salute our security forces.”