Garhwal Post Bureau
Haridwar, 6 Aug: Sports Minister Rekha Arya will undertake a Kanwar Yatra on 10 August and will walk from Haridwar to Veerbhadra, Rishikesh. Ahead of the pilgrimage she today reached Haridwar with her husband and offered prayers to the Ganga. She sought prosperity for the nation and the state on this occasion. She later also called on Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad president Ravindra Puri Maharaj and Niranjani Akhara secretary Ramratan Giri, and sought their blessings and also invited the sages to join her in the Yatra.
Speaking to the media persons on this occasion, Rekha Arya said she will carry Ganga water from Har Ki Pauri and walk nearly 22 kilometres to Veerbhadra, where she will perform Rudrabhishek of Lord Shiva and pray for the fulfilment of two major pledges. Her first pledge is the successful hosting of the 2036 Olympic Games, while the second is to establish India as a global sports superpower. She emphasised that her journey will not only symbolise religious faith but also convey a message of strengthening sports culture in the country and inspiring youth towards games.
She also asserted that the players, sages and a large number of devotees will also accompany her, making the Yatra both spiritual and motivational. During her meeting at Niranjani Akhara, Ravindra Puri Maharaj and Ramratan Giri praised her pledges, stating that enhancing the nation’s glory through sports is also a form of national service. Ravindra Puri Maharaj blessed her, wishing that her pledges be fulfilled and India achieve new heights in the sporting world.
It may be recalled that Rekha Arya had undertaken a similar Kanwar Yatra last year, walking from Har Ki Pauri to Veerbhadra with Ganga water to offer at the temple of Lord Shiva, dedicating her pledge then to the cause of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao. In the year 2022 also, she had carried the Kanwar for 25 kilometres with the pledge “Let me be born too”, committing herself to improving the gender ratio in the state. On that occasion also she had performed Ganga worship with Akhara Parishad president Ravindra Puri and general secretary Harigiri before beginning her walk to Rishikesh, where she had offered water at Veerbhadra Mahadev temple in prayer for the fulfilment of her pledge.
