Centre will hand over idol of Maa Annapurna to UP govt today: Meenakshi Lekhi

Union Minister of State Meenakshi Lekhi on Thursday said that the government will hand over the idol of Maa Annapurna to the Uttar Pradesh government today.

The idol will be installed at Kashi Vishwanath Temple on November 15.

Speaking to ANI, Lekhi said, "An idol of Maa Annapurna, which was stolen from Varanasi about 100 years ago was retrieved from Canada recently. The idol will be installed at Kashi Vishwanath Temple on November 15. The government of India will hand over the idol of Maa Annapurna to the Uttar Pradesh government today."

Lekhi offered prayers to the deity today at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi.

Later in the day, the idol will now be taken from Delhi to Aligarh. From there it will be taken to Kanauj on November 12 and reach Ayodhya on November 14.

Finally, it will reach Varanasi on November 15 where it will be placed at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Uttar Pradesh after the appropriate rituals, the release said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will consecrate the idol at Kashi Vishwanath Temple on November 15.

The idol is 17 cm in height, 9 cm in breadth and 4 cm in thickness.

( With inputs from ANI )