Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the 10-day Uttarakhand Mahotsav on Saturday night at the Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant Hill Cultural Park, located on the banks of Gomati. During this, he said that the state of Uttarakhand has completed 24 years of its establishment and has entered the year of silver jubilee. Congratulating the people of Uttarakhand on this special occasion of Uttarakhand Foundation Day, the Chief Minister said that in the last 24 years, Uttarakhand has made many important achievements in the direction of development and has established new paradigms while preserving its cultural heritage. The Chief Minister expressed special gratitude to the Uttarakhand Maha Parishad for honoring the cultural heritage of the state by organizing the Uttarakhand Mahotsav every year.
Recalling the holy places of Uttarakhand – Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Jageshwar Dham, the Chief Minister said that these holy places have been the center of faith of the devotees for centuries. He said that now these places have also become major tourist attractions, where people from all over the country and abroad are attracted. Due to the reconstruction and expansion work of the facilities at Kedarnath Dham, the number of tourists here is continuously increasing. Jageshwar Dham has gained global recognition, especially after the Prime Minister’s visit. Tourism has not only provided employment opportunities but has also strengthened the local economy.
CM Yogi said that Uttarakhand Maha Parishad was established by the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, late Govind Ballabh Pant, which is working to preserve the cultural heritage and traditions of the state. Under this council, the rich cultural practices of Garhwal and Kumaon are showcased, thereby encouraging local artists and social workers. This initiative is playing an important role in preserving the cultural heritage of the state of Uttarakhand.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that even though the life of the people of Uttarakhand is very difficult, personalities like late Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna and Narayan Dutt Tiwari fought hard and contributed significantly in bringing not only Uttar Pradesh but also Uttarakhand to new heights. While Bahuguna ji fought for development, Tiwari ji accelerated economic development by promoting industrialization. Today Uttarakhand is progressing rapidly as a result of his vision and struggle. Making a special mention, the Chief Minister said that whenever he teaches the life of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna ji, he sees the kind of struggle he faced in his childhood. I used to walk for several days from the village to Kotdwar and Najibabad, after which I would take the train or bus from there. Despite this, he received a good education, he also associated with the freedom movement of the country and proved his ability by leading the highest position of politics and also increased the pride of Uttarakhand.
The Chief Minister said that the Uttar Pradesh government always supports Uttarakhand. The government believes that only a society that respects heritage moves towards development. With this thought, continuous support will be provided to Uttarakhand Maha Parishad so that the culture, tradition and folklore of the state can advance.
On this occasion, Lucknow Mayor Sushma Kharkwal, Former Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Uttarakhand General Council Convenor Diwan Singh Adhikari, President Harish Chandra Pant, General Secretary Bharat Singh and other dignitaries were present.
‘Uttarakhand Gaurav’ Award to Dr. Kalyan Singh Rawat
Earlier, the Chief Minister was welcomed at the program with a shower of flowers. Chholiya dance group showed tricks and congratulated CM Yogi. On this occasion, the Chief Minister honored environmentalist Dr Kalyan Singh Rawat, pioneer of the Meiti movement, with ‘Uttarakhand Gaurav Samman’. Prakriti Naman special issue of Uttarakhand Darpan souvenir was also released. At Uttarakhand Mahotsav, which will be open till November 18, stalls of handicraft products made by artisans from different states have been set up. At the same time, around 150 stalls selling organic produce, pulses, herbal juices, bal sweets from Uttarakhand, namkeen from Nainital, Kashmiri shawls, rugs and food manufactured by self-help groups have been set up. The exhibition will take place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
