Hito Pahad Diwas will be held on the occasion of Makar Sankranti while State Flower Day will be organised on the occasion of the Fuldei folk festival. Issuing these instructions to officials while chairing a meeting at the Secretariat on Monday, Chief Minister Harish Rawat also directed that ‘Celebrate Safe Uttarakhand’ be convened on November 24. Steps should also be taken to enhance the ceremonial trip of palanquins carrying presiding deities of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri to their winter abodes, instructed the CM.
Rawat said that successful management of the Char Dham Yatra this year had sent a message across the world about Uttarakhand being safe. It is also important to be known that tourism possibilities here are as high in the winter as they are during the summers. For this, Celebrate Safe Uttarakhand will be organised on November 24 with support from all the stakeholders. When the Char Dham shrines are closed for winter, the held of temple committee should be taken to add more grandeur to the traditional processions carrying the presiding deities of the shrines to their winter abodes in ceremonial palanquins. These processions should be widely publicized so that devotees and tourists from across India and abroad can also participate in these journeys. The people should also be informed about the winter abodes of the presiding deities of the Char Dham shrines. In order to encourage the winter Char Dham Yatra, a scheme for providing special discount of up to 30 per cent from November 1 to 24 on lodging, meals and transport for tourists should be prepared by the officials.
The CM further said that the Tourism department should organise various programmes at Jageshwar and Madmaheshwar with provision of upto 30 per cent discount for tourists here. In order to motivate non-resident Uttarakhandis, Hito Pahad Diwas should be commemorated on the occasion of Makar Sankranti with special events at various important places. Non-resident Uttarakhandis should be given the offer to stay in these places for at least three days and they should also be provided 30 per cent discount in transport from Delhi to Uttarakhand.
Rawat said that a continuous series of events incorporating culture, Yoga and other aspects should be held in the run up to the Ardh Kumbh to be held in Uttarakhand in 2016. As part of this series, the CM directed Sports Department to organise marathon runs at Triveni Ghat in Rishikesh and VIP Ghat at Haridwar two days after Navratri. Participation of professional runners and school children should also be elicited for these runs, he said. He also said that the Tourism Department and Horticulture Department should jointly organise State Flower Day on the occasion of Fuldei festival. The attempt should be to ensure that tourists are informed about Buransh (rhododendron) and other flowers of the State to boost flower tourism in Uttarakhand. The tourists should get the message that there is much left untouched by tourism even before the advent of summer. Kanva Ashram near Kotdwar needs to be linked with mainstream tourism for which a documentary should be made on the history of this place and screened at multiplexes.Kanva Ashram could also be linked to Corbett national park, added the CM.
Principal secretaries Dr Ranvir Singh, Dr Umakant Panwar, secretary Amit Negi and other departmental officials were also present in the meeting.