Dehradun: Governor Lieutenant General Gurmeet Singh (retd) and Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday flagged off the first batch going to Shri Hemkunt Sahib Yatra led by the Panj Pyaras from Rishikesh. During this, the Governor and the Chief Minister congratulated the first batch of Sangats going for the Yatra and wished them a smooth and safe journey.
The Governor said that this journey to Shri Hemkunt Sahib is a symbol of faith, devotion and belief. The difficult journey of about 18 kilometers to this pilgrimage site located at an altitude of 15 thousand feet is a test of patience, courage and faith of every devotee. Recalling the contribution of Sikh Gurus, the Governor said that “self-respect, courage, sacrifice, hard work and service” are the basic pillars of the Sikh tradition. He called upon the devotees to take inspiration from the words of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, “Nishchay Kar Apni Jeet Karoon”.
The Governor said that the government is constantly striving to make the Shri Hemkunt Sahib Yatra more simple, easy and safe. He appreciated the preparations made by the administration and the Gurudwara Management Committee on the Yatra routes. The Governor appealed to all the devotees to adopt plastic-free travel and promote the ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign by giving priority to local products. The Governor thanked the Gurudwara Management Committee, Sevadaars, administrative officers and security forces associated with the Yatra organization for their continuous efforts and wished for the success of the Yatra.
On this occasion, Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the Yatra of Shri Hemkunt Sahib is a unique confluence of religious, spiritual, culture of our state. Hemkunt Sahib is the main center of faith of the Sikh community. This land is still the center of divine energy. Every devotee experiences spiritual peace and new consciousness by visiting Hemkunt Sahib. He said that despite the difficult terrain and weather, thousands of devotees participate in this yatra every year. So far, more than 60 thousand devotees have registered for Hemkunt Sahib. Now more than 30 lakh devotees have registered for the Char Dham Yatra.
The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the state government is making the Hemkunt Sahib Yatra simple and easy. In the coming days, this journey will be completed in a very short time. He said that the state government has constructed a valley bridge at Govindghat for a smooth journey, soon a permanent bridge will also be constructed. For the convenience of the travelers, railings, sign boards, medical camps, drinking water, hot water have also been arranged on the travel route. He wished all the devotees going on the yatra.
During the program, an upgraded version of the AI-powered chatbot “Eternal Guru” was also demonstrated. This chatbot is based on Gurbani, which is capable of spreading the spiritual guidance and teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib to the people through technology. This chatbot has been developed by Uttarakhand Technical University in collaboration with Hemkunt Sahib Management Trust.
On this occasion, President of Hemkunt Sahib Management Trust Narendrajit Singh Bindra welcomed all the people present and gave his best wishes for the successful journey of the devotees. On this occasion, Assembly Speaker Mrs. Ritu Khanduri “Bhushan”, Cabinet Minister Mr. Subodh Uniyal, MLA Mr. Premchand Agarwal, MLA Mrs. Renu Bisht, President of Parmarth Niketan Swami Chidananda Saraswati, President of Nirmal Ashram Jot Singh, Nirmal Akhara Pramukh Srimant Gyan Dev Maharaj, Vice Chancellor Technical University Prof. Omkar Singh, Vice Chancellor Sanskrit University Haridwar Prof. Dinesh Chandra Shastri and many other dignitaries were present.
