Issuing an appeal to the people to welcome kanwarias as their guests, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that this time the Kanwar Yatra should be organised on the lines of Kumbh and the devotees of Lord Shiva should be allowed to take out their yatra peacefully.
Addressing a gathering during his visit to Shukteerth temple in Muzaffarnagar on Sunday, the Chief Minister said that his government had organised the Kumbh Mela in a majestic way. He said the inspiration of making the Kumbh a grand and divine event came from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Our whole team in Prayagraj worked hard to make it (Kumbh) a big success,” Yogi said, and added, “This time we want Kanwar Yatra to be on the same scale with people’s participation.”
The annual Shravan month’s Kanwar Yatra is set to begin on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister has already allowed DJ at Kanwar Yatra and has asked officials to make arrangements for showering flower petals on the Kanwar Yatra from helicopters.
As the last day of Kanwar Yatra coincides with Bakra-Eid on August 12, the officials have been directed to ensure that animals are not slaughtered on the Kanwar Yatra route.
Yogi Adityanath participated in the 15th death anniversary of Swami Kalyandev at Shukteerth and inaugurated the expansion of Shukdev Goshala in the presence of Swami Omanand.
He also paid a visit to the Shukteerth temple and released the model of a modern Bhagwat Katha Bhawan to come up there. The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of the Tourism department’s Rs 20-crore plan.
The Chief Minister said: “Just like we have developed Prayagraj, we aim to develop Shukteerth on the same lines. Developing holy places of pilgrimage is our first priority. Shukteerth will be developed just like Kashi, Ayodhya and Mathura.”
Paying homage to Swami Kalyandev, the Chief Minister said that India had preserved its identity so far due to saints and seers. He also mentioned Bhagwat Mahapuran in his address.
Yogi said that public welfare works were being undertaken across the state. “Muzaffarnagar is very old and it has a long history. It is connected to Bhagwat Bhoomi. Despite lack of resources here, there has always been long queues of devotees. The Shukteerth has been the epicentre of faith for 5,000 years,” he said.
Assuring the farmers that their problems would be resolved, Yogi urged people to support the initiatives on water conservation and cleanliness programs started by the Government of India.
He also talked about cow protection, saying the government had given instructions for cow protection.
