Dehradun, 14 April (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at the historic Jai Maa Daat Kali Temple near Dehradun on April 14, 2026, as part of his visit to Uttarakhand, even before inaugurating the long‑awaited Dehradun–Delhi Expressway and addressing a major public gathering in the state capital.

The temple, often referred to as “Maa Daat Kali” or “Dat Kali Mata,” is an 19th‑century shrine located near the gateway to Uttarakhand and is regarded as a potent local symbol of protection and divine blessing.

PM Modi’s brief yet deliberate darshan and puja at the temple were framed as a spiritual prologue to the inauguration of the 210‑km‑long Delhi–Dehradun Economic Corridor, costing around ₹11,963 crore, which he formally launched immediately afterward.

Eyewitness accounts indicate that the Prime Minister spent several minutes inside the temple precincts, offering floral tributes and performing a quiet ritual, while schoolchildren nearby chanted mantras and vandana as part of the curated religious‑cum‑civic spectacle.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar