Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Assam on Friday evening for a two-day visit to the state and Arunachal Pradesh. Upon arrival at Tezpur, PM Modi was received by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. From Tezpur, the Prime Minister took a chopper to Panbari in Golaghat district. After landing at the temporary helipad in Panbari, PM Modi then travelled 13 kilometres by road to reach the Assam police guest house at the Kohora area where he will spend the night.
During his 13-kilometre road journey, PM Modi was welcomed by the local people and as many as 36 cultural troupes, showcasing their traditional dance forms, including Bihu, Jhumur, Missing Bihu, among others.
On Saturday, at around 5.45 am, PM Modi will embark on a visit to the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. The Prime Minister is scheduled to take a jeep safari or elephant ride or both at the Kaziranga range of the park. If he takes an elephant ride, divisional elephant Pradyuman, a tusker, is likely to be deployed to take the Prime Minister around the park where he would see one-horned rhinoceros, deer, Asian wild elephant, Asiatic water buffaloes, among others.
In the year 2022, when former President of India Ram Nath Kovind visited the park with his daughter, another divisional elephant Pawan, was deployed to take him for a ride, while his daughter took a ride on Pradyuman.
Meanwhile, the roads inside the park have been upgraded for the Prime Minister’s jeep safari. PM Modi’s safari to the park is likely to start from the Mihimukh point of the park.
Notably, Narendra Modi will be the second Prime Minister of India after Jawaharlal Nehru to visit the famed park. Former Prime Minister Nehru reportedly visited the park in 1957.
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About Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve
The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, a UNESCO world heritage site, is one of the most sought-after destinations in the country, for both domestic, as well as foreign tourists. The park is best known for the ‘Big Five’ animal species- the greater one-horned rhinoceros, royal Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, Asiatic wild buffalo, and the eastern swamp deer.
The park houses the world’s highest population of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros and also has the highest density of the royal Bengal tigers in India.
The writer is a senior independent journalist covering the Northeast.