Kolkata, 17 February (H.S.) : Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Mayapur in West Bengal’s Nadia district on Wednesday, February 18, for a brief visit to the headquarters of the ISKCON. According to a statement issued by his party, the visit is entirely for religious purposes and will not involve any political meetings or gatherings.

Sources indicated that this will be his shortest visit to the state in recent months, lasting approximately two hours and limited to the ISKCON temple complex in Mayapur, which serves as the global headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

According to the schedule, Shah will arrive at Kolkata Airport around noon and travel to Mayapur by helicopter. Upon landing at the temple helipad, he will proceed to the temple premises via golf cart, where students of the Vedic Gurukul and temple management will welcome him with Vedic chants.

During the visit, the Home Minister will offer floral tributes to the founder of ISKCON, Acharya A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He will also participate in worship and special rituals at the temples of Lord Narasimha, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and Radha-Madhav.

Shah will attend the main program organised in honour of a spiritual leader’s birth anniversary and is expected to address the gathering. Organisers have stated that the event will be religious and cultural in nature, with a large number of devotees expected to participate.

Bharatiya Janata Party leaders clarified that no political meetings or public rallies are scheduled during the visit, though several senior state leaders and local party officials will be present at the temple complex.

After the program, Shah is scheduled to return to Kolkata in the late afternoon and depart for New Delhi.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh