PM Modi visited Lokmanya Seva Sangh to offer prayers to Lord Ganesha during Ganesh Chaturthi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today began his one-day tour of Maharashtra by offering prayers to Lord Ganesh in suburban Vile Parle in Mumbai.

PM Modi visited Lokmanya Seva Sangh, a 96-year-old not-for-profit organisation inspired by the values propagated by freedom fighter 'Lokmanya' Bal Gangadhar Tilak, to offer his prayers, as a part of ongoing Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

The Prime Minister went straight to the Lokmanya Seva Sangh from the city airport, located nearby. He also garlanded the bust of the 'Lokmanya', who had started Ganesh festival at the public level to galvanise people against the British, on the Lokmanya Seva Sangh premises.

The Prime Minister also garlanded the bust of noted Marathi litterateur late PL Deshpande to mark his birth centenary year.

"The idea of celebrating Ganesh festival publicly was mooted by Lokmanya Tilak a century ago. The festival is now celebrated all over the country and the world," the Prime Minister said later while addressing a gathering at Jio World Centre in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).

At the Bandra Kurla Complex, PM Modi inaugurated three metro lines for Mumbai. He also unveiled a state-of-the-art metro coach, the first metro coach under 'Make in India'.

Later in the day, the prime minister is scheduled to address a state-level Mahila Saksham Melava or Empowered Women''s Meet of Self Help Groups, being organised by Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission (UMED) in Aurangabad.

He will also inaugurate AURIC Business and Administrative Building and Dedicate DMIC AURIC City to the Nation in Aurangabad.

