Ahead of polls, New Zealand PM Ardern pays visit to Radha Krishna Temple in Auckland

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday visited the Radha Krishna Temple in Auckland, ahead of the national elections scheduled in September. A video of much-loved New Zeland PM's visit to the temple has gone viral on social media.

In the video, one can see the New Zealand PM getting out of her car and entering the temple. Following the Indian tradition, she removed her footwear before entering the temple. As she entered the temple, a conch shell is blown and the temple priest started chanting the Sanskrit Mantras. She participated in the 'aarti' by standing with her hands folded as the priest continued with the rituals. Ardern also accepted the holy cloth put across her neck by the priest after applying the tika on her forehead. She also received 'prasad' from the priest.

READ | New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern launches re-election campaign, promises jobs

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

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NZ PM enjoys Indian veg meal

During her visit to the temple, Ardern had a special vegetarian meal. The Indian envoy to New Zealand Muktesh Pardeshi who was also present on the occasion of PM Adern's visit to the temple said, "She paid a short visit to Radha Krishna Mandir and enjoyed a simple Indian vegetarian meal- Puri, Chhole and Daal." The Radha Krishna Temple is a part of Mahatma Gandhi Centre, run by the Auckland Indian Association.

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PM Ardern launches re-election campaign

PM Ardern on August 8 launched her re-election campaign where she promised to boost the economy by offering cash incentives to businesses in order to encourage them to hire more people. Jacinda Ardern is comfortably ahead of her opponents as per the opinion polls and is likely to win the upcoming election, which is scheduled to take place on September 19. During the launch of Labour Party's re-election campaign she promised a $205.32 million scheme that would see businesses receive $7,500 on average to hire more people.

The 40-year-old liberal leader has garnered a lot of praise for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic, both internally and from the international community, which makes her the frontrunner in the race. 

READ | New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern launches re-election campaign, promises jobs