Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 8 May: Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Satpal Maharaj stated today that the people of India have unwavering faith in the successful leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Referring to the BJP-NDA alliance’s historic victories in West Bengal for the first time, in Puducherry for the second time, and in Assam for a consecutive third term, he said these victories reflect an India stretching from “Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Gangotri to Gangasagar” that seeks development free from corruption and appeasement politics.
Satpal Maharaj said that, today, from the origin of the Ganga at Gangotri to Gangasagar, “there is lotus everywhere”. He described the victory not merely as an electoral success but as a historic expansion of saffron influence across India’s political landscape. He credited the achievement to the grand vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP President Nitin Nabin for building a “New India” and a “Developed India”.
He further highlighted the deep cultural and spiritual ties between Uttarakhand and West Bengal. The sacred river Ganga originates from the Gangotri glacier at Gomukh in Uttarakhand and ultimately merges into the Bay of Bengal at Gangasagar.
Speaking about pilgrimage traditions, Satpal Maharaj noted that the people of Bengal have immense devotion toward the Char Dham Yatra. He said that 30–35 percent of Char Dham pilgrims come from West Bengal alone. According to him, many Bengali families consider it a lifelong tradition to undertake the Char Dham pilgrimage at least once. After Durga Puja, Char Dham remains one of their most significant religious journeys.
He also pointed out that the Bengali community has established hundreds of hotels and dharamshalas in Rishikesh, Haridwar, and Joshimath. He emphasised the strong spiritual and cultural bond between Bengal and Uttarakhand, mentioning that almost every village in Bengal has a Shiva temple. He also recalled that Swami Vivekananda had meditated in Badrinath Temple, and that a branch of the famous Belur Math is located in Joshimath.
He added that Haridwar and Rishikesh have long been centres of spiritual practice for Bengali saints. Bengali devotees also regard the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda Rivers at Devprayag as “Chhota Gangasagar”. He further mentioned that, during India’s freedom struggle, Bengali revolutionaries such as Rash Behari Bose and Sri Aurobindo stayed in the forests of Uttarakhand following the Kakori Conspiracy.
Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj described the BJP’s massive victory as a triumph of dedicated and hardworking party workers. He said that, in line with the vision of Home Minister Amit Shah, the BJP government would now work toward making Bengal a true “Sonar Bangla”.
