U'khand CM inaugurates Winter Char Dham Yatra

Dehradun, Dec 8 (PTI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday inaugurated the Winter Char Dham Yatra by offering prayers at the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, the winter seat of Lord Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district.

Dhami also conducted a field inspection and check the various arrangements made by the administration for the yatra and directed the officials to ensure all the necessary arrangements were in place to facilitate the journey of the devotees.

He said that he has officially inaugurated the Winter Char Dham Yatra by taking the blessings of Baba Kedar.

Dhami said, "This (yatra) will not only bring tourists throughout the year but will also give a new identity to many tourist places here. Along with this, new employment opportunities will be created for the residents which will help in strengthening their economic condition." He urged the tourists to visit Chardham and other places like Gopinath, Auli, Pandukeshwar, Chopta, Joshimath, Kalpeshwar, Triyuginarayan, Kalimath, Devriyatal, etc., so that the tourism industry also gets a boost and the cultural heritage of the region can be preserved." On this occasion, Kedarnath MLA Asha Nautiyal, Rudraprayag MLA Bharat Chaudhary and Shri Badri-Kedar Temple Committee President Ajendra Ajay were also present.

Dhami had earlier said that devotees would be offered a 10 per cent discount for staying in Garhwal Mandal Development Corporation (GMVN) hotels. PTI DPT HIG