By Our Staff Reporter
DEHRADUN, 17 Jul: ‘Harela’ was celebrated at the Raj Bhavan, here, on Monday. On the occasion, Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd) prayed for the happiness and prosperity of the state by offering prayers at the Shiva Temple in the Raj Bhavan.
After this, he planted a sapling in the premises. The officers and employees present also planted saplings on the occasion.
Chholiya Dancers performed to the playing of traditional instruments, adding grace to the festival. Auspicious songs of Harela were sung by women in traditional costumes.
Extending best wishes to the country and the people of the state on the occasion of Harela, the Governor said it has been the tradition to give importance to nature in Uttarakhand in its various forms. The Harela festival is also a symbol of the connect with folk culture, nature and environment. It is the responsibility of all to take a pledge to protect and promote nature. The future generations should get a pure environment.
The Governor added that Uttarakhand has more than 70 percent forest-covered areas. Many movements for the awareness of environmental protection started from here. In this sense, the responsibility towards environmental protection increases even more. Challenges like global warming are increasing all over the world. Along with planting trees, they should also be taken care of.
On this occasion, First Lady Gurmit Kaur, Secretary to the Governor, Ravinath Raman, Additional Secretary Swati S Bhadoria, Additional Secretary Ranveer Singh Chauhan, Deputy Secretary NK Pokhriyal, Additional Director, Horticulture, Dr RK Singh, Joint Director, Information, Dr Nitin Upadhyay, Deputy Director, Horticulture, Dr Amit Ratan, Chief Horticulture Officer Dr Meenakshi Joshi, Horticulture Officer Deepak Purohit, other officers and employees of Raj Bhavan were also present.
