PM Modi sports traditional headgear at Uttarakhand silver jubilee celebrations

Dehradun, Nov 9 (PTI) At the silver jubilee celebrations of the Uttarakhand's formation on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sported the state's traditional headgear and often switched to Garhwali and Kumaoni during his speech to strike a chord with the locals.

Starting his speech with his familiar greetings but this time in local dialect, Prime Minister Modi went on to say the “double-engine” BJP government is working to elevate Uttarakhand's potential to new heights.

"You all know how deep my attachment to Uttarakhand is. Whenever I came here on spiritual journeys, the struggle and hard work of the people living in the mountains always inspired me. This introduced me to the immense potential of Uttarakhand," he said.

In the middle of his speech, the prime minister remarked that the people of Uttarakhand are very excited about the development of the state. Modi said if he spoke in Garhwali, he might make a mistake.

The prime minister continued in the dialect to say, “My Uttarakhand, my Devbhoomi is fully prepared to take India into the league of developed countries in 2047.” He then termed the changes the state witnessed in the last 25 years, a result of the policy of taking everyone along and the resolve of every Uttarakhandi. "Earlier, climbing mountains used to block the path of development. Now new paths are opening from those mountains." The prime minister also mentioned local festivals, traditions, and important events of the state such as Harela, Fuldei, Bhitoli, Nanda Devi, Jauljibi Fair, Devidhura Fair, and the Butter Festival at Dayara Bugyal in his speech. PTI DPT OZ OZ