By Arun Pratap Singh
Uttarkashi, 5 Mar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit Harsil in Uttarkashi for a one-day tour tomorrow. Modi is scheduled to offer worship at the winter abode of Goddess Ganga in Mukhba. All preparations have been completed in Harsil valley before the arrival of PM Modi. According to the scheduled programme, he will offer prayers at Mukhba Temple at around 9:30 a.m. tomorrow and have darshan of Goddess Ganga there. At around 10:40 a.m., he will flag off the trek and bike rally.
The Uttarkashi District Administration Uttarkashi has completed all the preparations for Modi’s visit. This has been shared by District Magistrate Dr Meharban Singh Bisht. BJP State President and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt has already reached Harsil to oversee the preparations.
According to the information made available by the district administration, Modi will worship Ganga wearing the traditional dress, ‘Chapkan’, at Mukhba. Gangotri Temple Committee Secretary Suresh Semwal said that these clothes will be presented to the PM on behalf of the Gangotri Temple Committee. In Mukhba, it is usually the priests who offer worship to Mother Ganga wearing Chapkan. Meanwhile, in Harsil, the Prime Minister will also be presented with the traditional dress, ‘Mirjai’.
After this, PM Modi will address a public meeting in Harsil. Uttarakhand government has started the winter tourism programme this year and it claims that Modi’s visit will give a fresh impetus to the winter yatra and tourism in the state. The government has reminded that thousands of devotees have already visited Mukhba, and Kharsali, which is the winter abode of Goddess Yamuna, Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, the winter abode of Lord Kedarnath, and Joshimath (now officially known as Jyotirmath), the winter abode of Lord Badrinath under the Winter Yatra this season. The aim of this programme is to promote religious tourism and boost Uttarakhand’s economy, homestay, tourism business, etc.
Today, BJP State President and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt also toured the area, reviewed the preparations, and visited the programme site where Modi is scheduled to address a public rally tomorrow.
All preparations have been completed by the district administration. Harsil-Mukhba is completely decked up for Modi’s visit. DM Meharban Singh Bisht today released pictures of the preparations for the visit of Modi to Harsil and Mukhba on his social media account. The DM has instructed the departments and organisations concerned to be fully prepared by making all the arrangements related to the proposed visit. Along with painting on the road up to the army helipad and in Mukhba, Harsil, the work of installing crash barriers, parapets, signboards, wall posts is complete and the repairs have been completed. The hanger and the canopy are also ready for the PM’s meeting in Harsil. In Mukhba, too, the work of painting the footpath, parking, and temple premises has been completed.
The PM will also visit the valley of Harsil after the aarti of Maa Ganga. After several days of snowfall, the weather in Harsil is reported to be clear today. The maximum temperature of Harsil is 8 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is reported to be Minus 2 degrees Celsius. Before the PM’s visit, the officials are taking stock of all the preparations. Strict security arrangements have been made at every step.
It may be recalled that, earlier, Modi was to visit the area on 27 February and stay overnight, but this programme was postponed at the request of the district administration due to bad weather and weather alerts issued by the Meteorological Department and the DGRE amid heavy snowfall. Now the weather has cleared up and the programme is finalised, though Modi will not be staying overnight in Harsil as planned earlier but will leave for Dehradun in the afternoon and from Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun to Delhi directly.
