PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has requested the pilgrims visiting Uttarakhand for Char Dham Yatra to observe digital fasting during their stay in the State. He said that this exercise of refraining from digital gadgets during the Yatra will help them to experience the natural beauty of the State and derive satisfaction.
In his message on the opening of the portals of Kedarnath Dham on Wednesday, the PM said that the Char Dham Yatra has begun in the sacred land of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. “This sacred journey to the four Dhams, including the darshan of Baba Kedar is a grand celebration of India’s eternal cultural consciousness. These four holy places nestled in the lap of the Himalayas are divine centres of our eternal faith and belief,’’ he said. The PM said that a Viksit Uttarakhand plays a crucial role in the resolve for a Viksit Bharat. He said that Uttarakhand is setting new records in tourism, spirituality and economic progress. The great development effort underway in Uttarakhand over the past few years has made the Char Dham Yatra more accessible, safe and divine, he said.
The PM requested the pilgrims to make five resolutions of cleanliness, sensitivity towards nature, cooperation, purchase of local products and maintaining sanctity of the religious places during the Yatra.
He said that the pilgrims should travel without single-use plastic and uphold the dignity of this sacred land. The PM appealed to the devotees to contribute to environmental conservation through initiatives like ‘One Tree in the Name of Mother’. He said emphasis should be on service, cooperation and unity during Yatra.
The PM exhorted the pilgrims to spend at least five per cent of their total Yatra expenditure on purchasing local products. He added that the pilgrims should ensure that they do not cause any inconvenience to those involved in organizing and managing this pilgrimage.
