By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 19 May: The portals of Hemkund Sahib are opening on 22 May. In this connection, the sangats for the Hemkund Sahib Gurdwara were flagged off from the Gurdwara complex in Rishikesh today by Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd) and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Both, the Governor and the CM, also offered prayers at the Gurudwara and attended the Gurbani recitation on this occasion.
The guests were welcomed by Hemkund Sahib Gurdwara Management Trust located on Laxman Jhula Road in Rishikesh. Extensive preparations have been made for the Hemkund Yatra.
Cabinet Minister Premchand Aggarwal also Rishikesh Mayor Anita Mamgai also attended the Gurbani recitation and offered prayers at the Gurudwara. A large number of Sikh Sangat Jatthas were present on the occasion.
Chief Minister Dhami extended best wishes to all the sangats for the Hemkund Sahib Yatra. He said that although he had participated in the Yatra commencement function in the past, too, it was the first time as CM. He said that the Gurus’ grace was very crucial in life and that nothing could happen without it. He said that Hemkund Yatra was starting with the Char Dham Yatra in the state. This year, many times more pilgrims had arrived for the Char Dham Yatra than in previous years, and the government was committed to a safe pilgrimage season. It was the resolve of the government that every devotee coming to the state arrive safely for the darshan and return safely afterwards.
The Chief Minister said that the devotees with health problems ought not to travel to the hills without the advice of the doctor. He said that reconstruction work on Kedarnath Dham had been done under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Now the work on Badrinath Dham has also begun. Whether it was the issue of reconstruction of Kashi Vishwanath corridor in Varanasi or the construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya, it was the result of the determination and faith of the Prime Minister that the grand and divine form of all these temples is visible to the country and the world.
Dhami added that a ropeway would be built on the Hemkund Sahib Yatra route as had been desired by the Prime Minister Modi. The government aims to develop circuits of other religious places in Kumaon and Garhwal regions besides the Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib. He said that home stay model is being developed in the state to make tourism a strong source of revenue. So far, around 3600 home stays have been registered in Uttarakhand.
Vice President of the Hemkund Management Trust Narendrajit Singh Bindra thanked the Governor and the Chief Minister for their presence at the commencement of the Yatra.
