Dehradun : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon his arrival in the state on Thursday.PM Modi is in Uttarkhand today, where he will perform pooja and darshan at the winter seat of Maa Ganga in Mukhwa at around 9:30 am. Around 10:40 am, he will flag off a trek and bike rally and also address the gathering at a public function in Harsil.
CM Dhami, taking to X, said, "Hearty welcome and greetings to the respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji on his arrival in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, the holy land of religion, spirituality and sacrifice. All of us residents of the state are eager to welcome the respected Prime Minister on the land full of spiritual and natural beauty of Mukhwa-Harshil (Uttarkashi)."Speaking about the PM's visit, Dhami added, "Certainly, this winter trip of yours will give new dimensions to the cultural, spiritual and tourism development of our state."
Meanwhile, people have gathered in large numbers ahead of the public meeting of PM Modi and CM Dhami in Harshil.Ahead of his visit, PM Modi affirmed his government's commitment to developing tourism in the state by promoting tourism.
"We are committed to further strengthen the economy of the state by promoting tourism in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. In this connection, I will get the opportunity to worship Maa Ganga in Mukhwa tomorrow morning at around 9:30 am. After this, I will communicate with my family members in Harshil", PM Modi wrote in his post on 'X'.
The Prime Minister further expressed his excitement about his visit to the Mukhwa temple, which is famous worldwide for its spiritual significance and amazing beauty.
"I am very excited to visit the winter residence of the pure and pure Mother Ganga in Mukhwa. This holy place is famous all over the world for its spiritual significance and amazing beauty. Not only this, it is a unique example of our resolve of 'heritage as well as development'," he stated.
Earlier, Dhami said that the PM's visit aims to promote the Winter Tourism Programme."We have started the Sheetkal Yatra. PM Modi is visiting Mukhwa Harsil tomorrow for encouragement so that the yatra gets famous in the country and abroad. His coming to Mukhwa and perform pooja and darshan at the Gangotri Dham will help making it more famous in the country and abroad. This will help in boosting our economy. The shops used to remain without business, the taxi drivers and guides did not get any work for six months. After this, they will get work for 12 months in the coming time," Dhami told ANI.
The Uttarakhand government has initiated a Winter Tourism programme this year. Thousands of devotees have already visited the winter seats of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. The program is aimed to promote religious tourism and boost the local economy, homestays, and tourism businesses, among others.