PM Modi offers prayers at Somnath Jyotirlinga temple in Gujarat. Prime Minister’s special puja comes close on the heels of over month-long Maha Kumbh celebrations in Prayagaraj. PM Modi is currently on a three-day visit to Gujarat. He will visit Sasangir in Junagarh district on Monday, on the occasion of World Wildlife Day. He is expected to undertake a jungle safari there, seen as the last remaining habitat of Asiatic lions. The ‘Khushbu Gujarat Ki’ campaign, launched by the Gujarat Tourism Department, helped put Gir on the global tourism map, attracting over 33 lakh visitors in the past five years. The Greater Gir Conservation Model was introduced, expanding lion protection beyond Gir National Park to 30,000 sq. km, ensuring a safer habitat. His tenure also saw the historic recruitment of women beat guards, with 111 women currently working in the Gir region. The Gujarat State Lion Conservation Society helped fund conservation initiatives through eco-tourism revenue, and the ‘Vanya Prani Mitra’ scheme was launched to involve local communities in wildlife protection.
