Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said that the area from Kalesar in Yamunanagar to Kalka in Panchkula would be developed to give a boost to pilgrimage tourism in the State.

“Under this, infrastructure is being strengthened in the Kapalmochan Mela area,” the Chief Minister said during his arrival at historic Kapalmochan Mela in Yamunanagar district.

In the last 50 years, Khattar is the only Chief Minister who has reached the MLA by breaking many myths and superstitions. Due to superstition, no Chief Minister had come here after 1970.

Khattar first offered prayers at Gurdwara Kapalmochan and then offered prayers at the Ghat of the ancient white Gaubachha temple, Rin Mochan Sarovar and Surajkund Sarovar.

He said that last year, the Kapalmochan mela could not be organized due to Covid-19, but this time the fair is organized in a grand manner by following the Covid-19 protocols.

The Chief Minister said that around 2 lakh devotees took a dip of faith in Kapalmochan Mela on Thursday evening.

He said that this area also has a lot of importance from a cultural point of view. Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Gobind Singh had arrived at this pious place. Considering all these factors we have taken several steps for the development of this sector, he said.

Apart from Shri Kapalmochan Teerth, Shrine Board has been formed for the development of Shri Badrinarayan, Shri Mata Mantradevi and Shri Kedarnath. The grand Guru Gobind Singh Martial Arts Museum has been constructed at Kapalmochan at a cost of Rs. 300 lakh. The Bilaspur-Kapalmochan-Danaura road has been widened and strengthened at a cost of Rs 20.8 crore. Link road Kapalmochan-Danaura road to Bhagwanpur road in district Yamunanagar has been widened by spending Rs. 2.58 crore, he added.

Khattar said that every year, International Gita Jayanti Mahotsav is celebrated in Kurukshetra to preserve Indian culture and make the coming generations aware of its rich traditions. Along with this, the government has constituted the Saraswati Development Board to bring back the ancient holy river Saraswati and to rejuvenate the pilgrimages located on its banks.

For the purpose of re-flowing of Saraswati river, construction of 3 Saraswati lakes and dams in Adibadri, Saraswati forest area near Pehowa, construction of 2 Saraswati lakes in Seonsar and connecting 2 other streams of Saraswati river with Saraswati is being initiated, he said.