Uttarakhand is the land of faith and devotion. The symbol of Indian culture —the Ganga river—also originates here, said Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. Members of the religious fraternity are carriers of the nation’s rich cultural heritage, he said. Rawat said this while welcoming the Dwadash Jyotirling Yatra of Narmadanand Bapji in Rishikesh on Friday. This Yatra is slated to cover a distance of 10,300 kilometres
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the saints have always inspired society to walk on the right path. Whether it be the conservation of the environment, plantation of trees or the rejuvenation of rivers- the religious fraternity has provided guidance and inspiration to society in carrying out efforts to meet all such aims.
Rawat said that this journey being undertaken by Narmadanand will be beneficial for humanity and society. He said, “The efforts of our saints for social welfare have always been successful. All of us wish that the efforts being undertaken by Narmadanand for conservation of the environment and a clean Ganga river are successful.”
The Chief Minister further opined that India had woken up at the right time for conservation of environment. Efforts being undertaken for this purpose have also sent a message.
The Government is attempting to ensure that the Ganga is clean from Gaumukh to Gangasagar. Large scale awareness is needed across the nation to ensure that every river- not just the Ganga- is clean.
Expressing his views on the occasion, Narmadanand said that he was undertaking this journey with the message of protection of water, life and forests.
Stating that Uttarakhand is the land of lord Kedarnath and where the Ganga originates, he also appreciated the efforts of the state government for environmental conservation and cleaning of the Ganga.
He said that he wished for the sanctity and purity of Ganga’s waters in Haridwar to be retained even downstream. Awareness about the environment is important and beneficial for both society and nature, he said.
Chidanand Saraswati of Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh mayor Anita Mamgain, her Dehradun counterpart Sunil Uniyal ‘Gama’ and others were also present on the occasion.
