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Raje Govt. to hold special prayers for good monsoon

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, JUNE 13. In yet another instance of the distinction between the State and religion getting blurred, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government in Rajasthan has decided to hold special prayers at prominent places of worship on June 21 to placate the rain gods and supplicate for good monsoon rains this year.

The date has been selected due to its significance in the Hindu religion with the auspicious planetary position of "Pushya Nakshatra'' likely to yield favourable response to prayers. The highlight of the day will be the performance of the "Rudrabhisheka'' ritual by the Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje, in Osian town in Jodhpur district.

The Devasthan Department will organise the events and bear their costs. In each temple -- where divine blessings will also be sought for progress and prosperity of the desert State -- as many as 11 priests will perform the rites of worship for three hours each.

According to the official sources here, the places of worship selected for the unique series of prayers include the popular pilgrim centre of Pushkar, Jharkhand Mahadeo temple and Sant Teunram temple in Jaipur, Chandrabhaga river banks at Jhalrapatan, Beneshwar Mahadeo temple in Dungarpur and Ramdeora temple in Jaisalmer.

Giving a "secular'' tinge to the exercise, one place of worship each of the minority communities have also been selected. The sources said the prayers would be organised in the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, Budhajohad Gurudwara in Sriganganagar, and the Central Church in Ajmer as well.

Besides Ms. Raje who will lead the programme in Osian, her colleagues in the State Cabinet will attend the rituals at different places of worship.

While the lone Muslim Minister, Mohammed Yunus Khan, will perform Ziarat in the Ajmer Dargah, the lone Sikh member of the Cabinet, Surendra Singh, will perform Ardaas in the Sriganganagar Gurudwara. Since there is no Christian Minister in the State, one of the Cabinet members -- Kalulal Gujjar -- will be sent to attend prayers in the Ajmer Church.

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