Garhwal Post Bureau
CHAMOLI, 9 May: Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Gurmit Singh on Saturday offered prayers at the revered Badrinath Temple and prayed for prosperity, happiness and well-being of the country and the State. During his visit, the Governor also reviewed the progress of works being carried out under the master plan in the temple town and took stock of pilgrimage arrangements.
As per his scheduled programme, the Governor arrived at Badrinath Dham, where he was received by Chief Development Officer (CDO) Abhishek Tripathi and Superintendent of Police Surjeet Singh Panwar. Later, he proceeded to the temple by car, where he was welcomed by Badri–Kedar Temple Committee Vice-Chairman Rishi Prasad Sati and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sohan Singh Rangad.
The Governor offered prayers and performed rituals at the temple while also observing the arrangements being made for pilgrims. He also met the temple Rawal Amarnath Namboodiri and interacted with devotees present in the temple premises to obtain feedback regarding the ongoing Char Dham Yatra arrangements.
During the visit, Singh also conducted a ground inspection of the riverfront development and other works being executed under the master plan in and around the temple complex. He also interacted with various stakeholders associated with the shrine and heard their suggestions and assured them of necessary action wherever required.
The Governor appreciated the efforts of the district administration and police administration in ensuring smooth pilgrimage management at Badrinath Dham. He also described the discipline being maintained by pilgrims as exemplary. Expressing satisfaction over the ongoing master plan works, he praised the cooperation extended by the administration, local residents and other stakeholders in the development of the shrine area.
Appealing to devotees visiting the shrine, the Governor urged pilgrims to maintain discipline and devotional spirit during the pilgrimage and to cooperate with authorities in ensuring smooth darshan arrangements. He also encouraged pilgrims undertaking the Char Dham Yatra to purchase local products as souvenirs of their spiritual journey in order to support the local economy.
Later in the day, Lt Gen Singh also visited Kedarnath Temple, where he offered prayers and sought blessings for global welfare, prosperity of humanity and the sustainable development of Uttarakhand. During his visit to Kedarnath Dham, the Governor interacted extensively with the pilgrims from different states and gathered feedback and suggestions regarding travel and pilgrimage arrangements.
The devotees expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made by the administration, particularly with regard to the pilgrimage route, security, healthcare services, cleanliness and darshan management.
