PM's wife sets off 12 girls on a journey

New Delhi, May 8 (UNI) Twelve "female bravehearts" today embarked on a bicycle journey across the country in an endeavour aimed at spreading light in the lives of the underprivileged children.

Setting off the 12 girls, hailing from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on their "noble mission" was none other than Ms Gursharan Kaur, wife of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

She flagged off the Anand Yatra 2006, a mission aimed at spreading happiness among the lakhs of orphans across the country, this evening.

The Anand Yatra, which will take the girls, aged between 18 and 21, on a bicycle expedition to five cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore - was flagged off by Ms Kaur from the Prime Minister's residence at 7, Race Course road.

The main objective of the ''Yatra'', being organised by the SOS villages of India and Multiple Encounters who have been working to uplift the orphans across the country, is to promote the message of peace and harmony across the country.

Various security measures have been adopted a month-long journey, the SOS villages of India said.

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