Saturday, 21 OCTOBER 2023 | PNS | HARIDWAR
The Tourism and Culture minister Satpal Maharaj inaugurated the holy Chhadi Yatra in Haridwar on Friday. This Yatra is meant to promote the important pilgrimage centres including the Char Dham and also to arrest the trend of migration from the mountainous villages of Uttarakhand. Earlier, he reached the Juna Akhada Ashram and performed
religious rituals at Maya Devi temple.
Dwelling on the significance of the Chhadi Yatra, the minister said that this pilgrimage epitomises the hoariness of the State’s spiritual tradition dating back to the time of
Adi Shankaracharya. He further said that this pilgrimage, which had originated in Bageshwar in ancient times, had proved instrumental in propagating the Sanatan Dharma and Vedic culture across the present territory of Uttarakhand. It was stopped during the Mughal era but the tradition was revived by Juna Akhada, Maharaj said.
Among those present on the occasion were the international president of Juna Akhada Mahant Prem Giri and Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad president Mahant Ravindra Puri.
Mahant Prem Giri said that the yatra would go to all the Siddha Peeths, Akhadas and Ashrams located in Haridwar till October 27 and following milk consecration of the sacred stick the next day, it would be sent to the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami from Maya Devi temple precincts for its journey across Uttarakhand.
