American Amarnath Yatris Find Special Mention In Mann Ki Baat, Here's What PM Modi Said

Two American nationals recently came to Kashmir to undertake the annual Amarnath pilgrimage.

New Delhi: Two US nationals, who recently came to India to perform the Amarnath Yatra, found a special mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' address on Sunday. In his monthly radio broadcast, Modi spoke about two 'American friends', who had come to Jammu and Kashmir from California, for 'darshan' and said that people from all over the world are coming to our pilgrimage sites. 

"These foreign guests had heard somewhere about the experiences of Swami Vivekananda related to the Amarnath Yatra. They got so inspired that they themselves came for the Amarnath Yatra. They consider it as the blessings of Lord Bholenath," PM Modi said. 

"This is the specialty of India that she accepts everyone, gives something or the other to everyone", he added.

During #MannKiBaat PM @narendramodi mentions about American tourists who visited the Amarnath shrine. pic.twitter.com/lVbqYcb6zk

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 30, 2023

The two Americans were spotted undertaking the annual pilgrimage on July 11. They said that visiting the shrine of Lord Shiva had been a 'dream come true' for them and that they had been waiting for this opportunity for many years.

"We stay at a temple ashram in California. For years, we have dreamt of coming here for this yatra. We have watched 'aarti' videos on YouTube every day for the last few years. It is hard, impossible to describe how we feel. We just have incredible gratitude and are very happy," one of them said in a video shared by the news agency ANI.

Clad in saffron robes and sporting long beaded hair, the two US nationals said they are devotees of Swami Vivekananda and drew inspiration from his visit to Amarnath.

"We are devotees of Swami Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda came to Amarnath and had a very important experience. He had a vision of Lord Shiva and for 40 years now, I have been thinking that I know this story. This is why we wanted to come here. It seemed like an impossible dream. Then, all of a sudden, by Bholenath's grace, everything came together and here we are after having his darshan," the other man said.

They also said they found a particular kind of peace prevailing in these mountains.

#WATCH | Two US nationals from California, undertake Amarnath Yatra in J&K.

They say, "...Swami Vivekananda came to Amarnath, he had a very important experience. I have known of this story for 40 years...It seemed impossible & was a dream to come here. But by Bholenath's grace,… pic.twitter.com/rY1UIhVtu5

— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2023

Over 3.85 lakh pilgrims have so far paid their obeisance at the shrine -- located at the height of 3,880 metres -- since the beginning of the 62-day-long yatra on July 1.

The annual Amarnath pilgrimage is scheduled to end on 'Shravan Purnima' coinciding with the Raksha Bandhan festival on August 31.

PM Modi speaks about French Yoga teacher

During the 103rd Episode of 'Mann Ki Baat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke about a woman of French origin – Charlotte Chopin, who is a Yoga teacher. He said that he had met her during his recent visit to France. 

"Charlotte Chopin is a Yoga Practitioner, Yoga Teacher, and she is more than 100 years old. She has crossed a century. She has been practicing yoga for the last 40 years. She gives credit for her health and this age of 100 years only to yoga," Modi said. 

"Let us not only embrace our heritage but also present it responsibly to the world," the prime minister expressed.

100-year-old Charlotte Chopin is an inspiration for all of us. She has been practicing yoga for the last 40 years. #MannKiBaat pic.twitter.com/eUY8MdfFrQ

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 30, 2023