LUCKNOW: An 18th-century idol of Goddess Annapurna, stolen from Varanasi about 100 years ago and retrieved from Canada recently, is set to return to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and be installed there on November 15.
The Uttar Pradesh government will take out a four-day Mata Annapurna Devi Yatra beginning in New Delhi on November 11 to take the idol to Varanasi.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath who, along with Union minister for tourism and culture G Kishan Reddy, spoke to media persons here on Wednesday, gave the detailed programme of the yatra apparently provides an opportunity to the BJP government to reach out to the people ahead of the 2022 UP assembly election.
Yogi Adityanath said senior ministers of the state government Suresh Rana and Neelkanth Tiwari will receive the idol at a programme in New Delhi on November 11. He said the ministers in charge of the respective districts will welcome the idol as the yatra makes its way to Varanasi on November 14.
The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) received the idol in New Delhi on October 15. The idol was part of the University of Regina’s collection at its Mackenzie Art Gallery when it was handed over by the university vice chancellor to India’s high commissioner to Ottawa (Canada), Ajay Bisaria last year.
The chief minister said the idol passed through many hands before reaching the Canadian university and the Uttar Pradesh government was getting it back following the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Baba Vishwanath temple and Maa Annapurna have a unique connection. Maa Annapurna is believed to provide food to Baba Kashi Vishwanath and every pilgrim visiting the place gets the same as ‘prasad’ from there,” said Yogi Adityanath.
Yogi Adityanath said the idol’s journey will begin from New Delhi on Gopashtami falling on November 11 and the idol will be installed at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Varanasi, on Devotthan Ekadashi falling on November 15.
“I offer my gratitude to the Prime Minister for this. Gopashtami falls on November 11 and to receive the idol on this day will be auspicious. The yatra beginning from New Delhi will pass through Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr and Hathras, and make a night halt at Soron in Kasganj. The yatra will then cover Etah, Mainpur, Kannuaj and stop for the night at Tapeshwari Devi temple in Kanpur Nagar. Next, the idol will be taken to Ram Janmabhoomi, Ayodhya via Unnao, Lucknow and Barabanki. After staying for the night at Ayodhya, the yatra will cover Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Jaunpur and reach Varanasi on November 14,” said Yogi Adityanath.
Yogi Adityanath also said with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts India’s heritage has made a place for itself in the world. Besides the International Yoga Day celebrated on June 12, the Prayagaraj Kumbh has also made a mark, the chief minister said.
He said Ayurveda has also received worldwide recognition during the Covid-19 pandemic.
For his part, Union minister Reddy said, “We have received an idol of goddess Maa Annapurna Devi from Canada. We identified the idol through an Indo-Canada artist at the MacKenzie Art Gallery of the University of Regina, Canada. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made efforts for getting the idol back from Canada. Our Prime Minister spoke to the Canadian Prime Minister on phone and the request for returning the idol was made as the idol is very important to us. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar and the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) also got in touch with the government of Canada to get the idol back from there,” said Reddy.
The Prime Minister wants this idol back at the place from where this was stolen. I spoke to chief minister Yogi Adityanath on behalf of the Union government,” he said.
Reddy said the Union government has received 55 idols and paintings from abroad. A total of 42 out of the 55 idols, taken out of India in the British period, have been received after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014, he said. The minister also said another 157 idols and paintings have been identified.
“The Prime Minister went to USA recently and about 100 artworks are in the process of being brought back from there,” he said. Reddy said other countries where the artworks have been identified include Singapore, Australia, UK, Switzerland and Belgium.Yes, we should definitely bring such idols back to our country. Taking out yatra is a good way to connect with the people ahead of polls,” said SK Dwivedi, former professor in the political science department at Lucknow University.
