PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The State Tourism, Religious Affairs and Culture minister Satpal Maharaj reached Pashmi village under Shillai in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh and prayed to Chhatradhari Chalda Mahasu Maharaj, the god of justice.
Earlier, he had inaugurated the two-day traditional and religious Jagra (Devayani) fair and festival on Sunday by offering prayers at Hanol temple dedicated to Mahasu Devta.
Maharaj said that Chhatradhari Chalda Mahasu Maharaj is the family deity and patron deity of millions of people in Jaunsar-Bawar in Uttarakhand and the Trans-Giri region of Himachal Pradesh. “He is considered the god of justice and has been worshipped by families from Himachal, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh for centuries,” he said. He also appreciated the arrangements made here for the devotees. He said he had requested the Transport minister of Himachal Pradesh to run a special bus. “He promptly responded and arranged for buses to Hanol,” he added.
Notably, this historic pilgrimage of Chhatradhari Chalda Mahasu Maharaj began in Dasau village in Uttarakhand, crossed the Tons river and reached Pashmi after a six-day trek covering approximately 70 kms. The deity has been formally enthroned in a newly constructed temple in Pashmi village, constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 2 crore, where, as per tradition, he will reside for one year.
“The Uttarakhand government is developing such mythological and cultural sites prominently on the tourism map, which will promote both local faith and tourism,” Maharaj stated on the occasion.
