Dhami celebrates Shivaratri at Vankhandi Mahadev Temple in Khatima
By Our Staff Reporter
Khatima, 26 Feb: On the occasion of Maha Shivaratri, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, along with his wife, performed Jalabhishek and Puja at Vankhandi Mahadev Temple located in Chakarpur, here, today. He also prayed for happiness, peace, and prosperity in the state. The CM also inaugurated the 12-day Maha Shivaratri fair at the temple.
Extending greetings to the devotees on Maha Shivaratri, the CM wished that blessings of Lord Shiva be showered on everyone. He said that he has been coming to Vankhandi Mahadev Temple on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri for many years. The state government is working on promoting winter tourism in the state. The winter yatra has been inaugurated from Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath. Now, devotees will be able to come to religious places throughout the year, which will directly benefit the people of the state and the region, he asserted.
Dhami said that Vankhandi Temple will be developed as a beautiful destination. A ropeway will soon be built in Maa Purnagiri Temple, and Sharda River Front is being built in Tanakpur, including Khatima and its surrounding areas on the River Front. He said that the government has allocated an amount of Rs 120 crores for the development of the Hanol area. The government is carrying out integrated development of the entire state. He also mentioned that the Khatima bus station will be ready soon and that Tanakpur bus station is being upgraded to the level of ISBT with an investment of Rs 200 crores.
The CM stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, religious places in the country have been transformed, leading to a renaissance across the nation. He noted that the number of devotees visiting Kedarnath had significantly decreased due to the disaster in 2013, but the Prime Minister rebuilt Kedarnath Dham, offered prayers, and stayed overnight, resulting in more than 20 lakh devotees visiting Kedarnath Dham each year.
He also mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Adi Kailash, Jolikong of Pithoragarh, giving Manaskhand new recognition on the global stage. He said that the pilgrims to Adi Kailash go by road from Kumaon, which will provide year-round employment for various businesses in the area. All the temples of Kumaon are being connected under the Manaskhand Yojana, which will further boost religious tourism.
On the occasion, the Mela Committee expressed gratitude to the CM for providing an amount of Rs 1 crore earlier for the beautification of the temple. The Temple Committee also honoured him by giving him a memento and a shawl.
During this event, Nagar Palika President Ramesh Chandra Joshi, Temple Committee President Gopal Singh Bisht, District President Kamal Jindal, Ganesh Joshi, Sudhir Verma, District Magistrate Nitin Singh Bhadoria, SSP Manikant Mishra, amongst others were also present.
