PM to unveil 63-ft tall statue of Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya in Varanasi today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil a 63-feet tall statue of Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya in Varanasi on Sunday.

The 'pancha loha' statue is the tallest statue of the leader in the country. Over 200 artisans have worked for almost a year in order to complete the structure. PM will unveil the statue during the inauguration of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Memorial Centre here.

The Memorial Centre shall also have the engravings of the life and times of Deendayal Upadhyaya. About 30 Odisha craftsmen and artists have worked on the project during the last year, according to an official statement.

He will also flag off IRCTC's Maha Kaal Express through video link. The train will connect the three Jyotirling pilgrim centres of Varanasi, Ujjain and Omkareshwar.

During the visit to his Lok Sabha constituency, Prime Minister Modi will also inaugurate over 30 projects, including a 430-bed super speciality government hospital, and a 74-bed psychiatry hospital at Benaras Hindu University.

The Prime Minister is slated to first participate in the closing ceremony of the Centenary Celebrations of Shri Jagadguru Vishwaradhya Gurukul. He shall also be releasing the translated version of the Shri Siddhant Shikhamani Granth in 19 languages, according to an official statement. Dr Chandrasekhar Shivacharya Mahaswami, Head of the Gurukul, said Modi would also release a mobile app of the Granth.

A two-day exhibition -- 'Kashi Ek Roop Anek' -- will also be inaugurated by the Prime Minister at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Hastakala Sankul. He will interact with buyers and artisans coming from different countries of the world including America, England and Australia.

'Kashi Ek Roop Anek' will showcase products from over 100 artisans from all over Uttar Pradesh. Artists and weavers at the event will also be imparted skills for improving the quality and branding of their wares suitable to the larger national and international markets.