Ahmednagar, October 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the temple town of Shirdi and paid his respects to Sai Baba. PM Modi is attending the closing ceremonies of the year-long festival marking the centenary of samadhi of the Shirdi Saibaba. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the occasion also handed over the keys to beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural) in Shirdi. Shirdi Sai Baba 100th Maha Samadhi Day: Schedule of Celebrations at Sai Baba Temple in Shirdi From October 17 to 19.

PM Narendra Modi reached Shirdi by a special flight at the new Shirdi Airport and then proceed by helicopter to the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust. Shirdi Sai Baba Bhajans: Shirdi Vaale Sai Baba And Other Bhakti Songs of Sai Ram.

Catch the ANI tweet below

He also performed a special pooja at the temple and unfurled a special flag. See the pictures of PM Modi paying his respects to Sai Baba

Revered across communities, Saibaba passed away in Shirdi village in Ahmednaar district on Dassehra Day in 1918.

To mark the centenary of his samadhi, the Trust had organised year-long celebrations which were inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind on October 1, 2017.

In December 2017, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated a Global Sai Temple Conference and a series of big and small activities were carried out throughout the year. PM Modi's visit marks the culmination of the festivities in which over 10 million devotees from India and abroad took part. (With Agency Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 19, 2018 12:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).