Ahmedabad, Nov 10 (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday visited several temples in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, offered prayers and exchanged Gujarati New Year greetings with citizens, political leaders and senior police officers on the occasion of Vikram Samvat 2083.
Patel prayed for the happiness, prosperity and good health of people and called for collective efforts to build a developed and drug-free Gujarat.
He began the day by visiting Panchdev Temple in Gandhinagar, where he offered prayers for the well-being of citizens. He subsequently visited Trimandir in Adalaj and paid obeisance to Simandhar Swami and other deities. He also paid his respects to Pujya Niruma and Dada Bhagwan.
The chief minister later met Governor Acharya Devvrat and extended New Year greetings to him.
In Ahmedabad, Patel visited Maa Bhadrakali Temple and prayed for the welfare of people and the overall development of the state.
He also interacted with prominent personalities, public representatives and citizens at the Annexe Circuit House in Shahibaug, exchanging festive greetings.
State BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma, Minister of State for Urban Development Darshna Vaghela, MPs Dinesh Makwana and Hasmukh Patel, Ahmedabad Mayor Hitesh Barot and several MLAs and other political leaders were present.
Patel subsequently visited the Police Officers’ Mess at Dafnala in Shahibaug, where he exchanged Diwali and New Year greetings with senior police officers and their family members.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, state police chief G S Malik, Director General of Prisons K L N Rao, Director General of Police Neerja Gotru and Ahmedabad Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut attended the interaction.
Earlier, the chief minister had met citizens, serving and retired senior secretaries, MLAs and office-bearers from Gandhinagar city and district at the Community Hall of the Ministers’ Residential Complex.
In his New Year message, Patel urged people to work together towards realising the vision of a developed and drug-free Gujarat, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed and drug-free India.
In a post on X, he extended greetings to Gujarati families living across the country and abroad. He also appealed to citizens to strengthen social harmony, encourage local artisans and small industries, and promote the ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative.
Patel further called for collective efforts towards building an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
