By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 20 Jul: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami welcomed Shiva devotees at the Ganga Ghat near Dam Kothi in Haridwar, today. He welcomed the devotees of Shiva who had come to Uttarakhand on the Kanwar Yatra by washing their feet and giving Ganga Jali to them. The CM also prayed that the blessings of Mother Ganga be with everyone.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister also planted a tree at Dam Kothi.
On this occasion, Dhami said that some qualities of Shiva are also visible in the devotees of Lord Shiva who had come to Uttarakhand. He said that for the first time a separate budget has been arranged by the government for the Kanwar Yatra. All Kanwar devotees would perform Jalabhishek of Shiva by carrying Ganga water to Shiva temples near their native places. He added that efforts had been made by the state government to provide all possible facilities to the devotees so that they do not have to face any inconvenience. The Chief Minister also appreciated the work of social organisations, voluntary organisations, government and the district administration in the smooth management of the Kanwar Mela, so far.
The Chief Minister reminded that, this year, a record number of devotees are coming for the Chardham and Kanwar Yatra pilgrimages. So far, more than 27 lakh registered devotees have visited the Chardham shrines. Today, more than 28 lakh Kanwar Yatris were in Uttarakhand.
He revealed that a WhatsApp group has also been created at a high level to ensure that the devotees do not face any problem during the Kanwar Yatra. All the arrangements are being monitored through this group, which also included him.
Present on this occasion were MLAs Adesh Chauhan and Pradeep Batra, former MLA Sanjay Gupta, Garhwal Commissioner Sushil Kumar, DIG, Garhwal, KS Naganyal, District Magistrate, Haridwar, Vinay Shankar Pandey, SSP, Haridwar, Dr Yogendra Singh Rawat, Chief Development Officer Prateek Jain and a large number of Shiva devotees.
