Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Uttarakhand on Thursday and started his visit with religious rituals followed by flagging off key tourism initiatives. His visit is aimed to promote religious tourism and boost the local economy in the state.
Addressing a public rally in Uttarkashi, PM Modi said there should be no off-season in the state and emphasised that winter tourism would strengthen the state’s economy.
“The tourism sector needs to be diversified, and we need to make it ‘Barahmasi’, 365 days. This is very important for Uttarakhand. I want no season to be off-season in Uttarakhand. Even during the off-season, tourism should be ongoing (in Uttarakhand), ” he said.
PM Modi said, “…Uttarakhand government’s perennial vision…will allow connecting people to a divine feeling. The job opportunities will improve… People of Uttarakhand and youths will have a big advantage due to this. Our double-engine government is working together to make Uttarakhand a developed state. Chardham All Weather Road, modern expressways, railways, aircraft and helicopter services in the state have expanded rapidly in the last 10 years…”
He said if people from other parts of the country and abroad come here during winters, then they will know the actual aura of this ‘Devbhoomi’. ”In winter tourism, the experience of activities like trekking and skiing will give goosebumps to people. In Uttarakhand, the winter season is appropriate for pilgrimage…”
PM Modi spoke on the Mana (Chamoli) avalanche incident. ” I express my condolences over the unfortunate incident that happened in Mana a few days back and the people who lost their lives…during this difficult situation, the unity country showed, gave a lot of strength to the families of the victims”.
PM Modi was accompanied by CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, who received him at the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun.
The PM started his visit by offering prayers at the temple in Mukhwa, which is regarded as the winter abode of Goddess Ganga since the main shrine in Gangotri becomes inaccessible during the harsh winter months.
PM Modi also took in the breathtaking beauty of the snow-capped mountains in Mukhwa and greeted the people there. He visited an exhibition and went amid the local artists as they performed the traditional folk dance.
Modi also flagged off a trek and bike rally at Harsil.
Uttarakhand CM Dhami said, “Char Dham Yatra is an important base of the economy of Uttarakhand. Lakhs of people associated with this Yatra receive employment opportunities, from hoteliers to taxi drivers and from local shopkeepers to trip organisers. During winter, when the portals of the four dham close, these people’s business gets affected. Seeing this, we began the historic Winter Yatra this year. I had urged the Prime Minister to participate in this Yatra and, accepting that, the PM is among us today.”
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 strengthening 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’.