Mysuru decks up for Modi visit

Mysuru, the city of palaces is all spruced up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day maiden visit from Saturday evening.

"Modi is visiting Mysuru for first time after becoming prime minister to inaugurate the 103rd Indian Science Congress in the University of Mysore campus on Sunday though he has two functions on Saturday evening," a state official told IANS here.

Mysuru, also the southern state's cultural capital, is about 140 km from Bengaluru.

Soon after landing at Mandakalli airport around 5 p.m., Modi will drive to inaugurate a new hospital of Avadhoota Datta Peetam in the Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda ashram on the Mysuru-Nanjangud road.

"Modi will also participate in the centenary celebrations of Shivarathri Rajendra swamiji (seer) of Suttur Mutt and address the gathering in the Maharaja College grounds in the city centre," the official said.

The prime minister will stay overnight at the Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel.

"Though Modi last visited the city in April 2014 as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate during the general elections, he had come here four-five times in the past as Gujarat chief minister and BJP leader," the official added.

Modi also visited Suttur Math on the city's outskirts during the tenure of the BJP government (2008-13) when party's vice-president B.S. Yeddurappa was the state's chief minister (2008-2011) to address a party meeting.

"As the Science Congress, held in first week of every New Year, is opened by the prime minister, Modi will flag off at Mansagangothri in the varsity campus in presence of top scientists, Nobel Laureates and hundreds of students," the official added.

Security has been tightened in and around the city and stepped up vigil at the venues he will be present.

"Vehicular traffic will be halted five minutes before the prime minister's convoy passes along the routes to the function venues on both days," city's deputy police commissioner N.D. Birje told reporters here.

Being a holiday-cum-tourist season, police has advised motorists to use alternative routes to avoid road blockade and delay in going around the city for sight-seeing.

Modi will leave for Tumakuru district on Sunday afternoon for the ground-breaking ceremony of the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL)'s new helicopter unit at Nittur, about 100km from Bengaluru.

Before flying back to New Delhi on Sunday evening from Bengaluru, Modi will inaugurate the 21st international conference on aFrontiers of Yoga Research and its Applications' at Jigani on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

The five-day conference, organised by the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-Vyasa Institute), will focus on integrated medicine to treat modern day ailments.