Ritual seeks divine grace for Modi to become PM again

A group of women in Gujarat's Surat on Saturday performed a 'yagna' ritual to please Lord Shani to ensure that the son of the soil and Prime Minister Narendra Modi wins a second term with a huge majority in Lok Sabha elections.

More than 500 women congregated at Siddha Kutir in Kapodara locality of the city on the first day of the "108 Shani Mahayagna" on the banks of the Tapi river, organisers said.

"As many as 532 women are participating in the Shani Mahayagna. They are sitting for prayers which will be held for two days," said Rekha Rawal, state secretary of the voluntary organisation 'Narendra Modi Vichar Manch', which organised the event.

They are performing the ritual to seek blessings of Lord Shani to grant Modi another term as the prime minister, she said.

Rawal said differently-abled students from a school and the women engaged in cleanliness activities will also join the ritual, which will end on Sunday.

"We are doing this 'havan' so that Modiji is once again elected as prime minister with full majority," she said.

Sri Swami Vijyanandji Maharaj, who travelled from Kashi Shaktipeeth in Haridwar to lead the ritual, said the "108 Shani Mahayagna" is meant to ensure that Modi defeats his "enemies" with divine grace.