During his visit to Haridwar on Sunday, the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat visited different Akhadas, meeting the ascetics and performing special worship at Daksh Mahadev temple in Kankhal. He sought blessings from the ascetics for the successful hosting of Kumbh Mela 2021 and also felicitated them.
He also attended the meet held to pay tribute to Devendra Swaroop Brahmchari at Jairam Ashram. Swami Hari Chetnanand Giri of Bada Udasin Akhada appreciated the spirit of Chief Minister to attend the meet. He sat next to Brahmswaroop Brahmachari, the founder of Jairam Ashram, who had fought elections as Congress candidate during Assembly polls 2017 against the BJP leader Madan Kaushik.
The CM held meeting in a closed room with Juna Akhada secretary Mahant Hari Giri along with Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik and other ascetics of the Akhada. He also met Shankaracharya Raj Rajeshwarashram of Jagadguru Ashram in Kankhal and offered him floral garland.
Speaking to the media persons, Rawat said that he had come to discuss the preparations of Kumbh Mela with the ascetics and to take their blessings. "Millions of people come during the Kumbh Mela from India and other countries and we want that they should get the needed facilities. For this we held meeting with the religious fraternity today. The plans are afoot to make it a magnificent fair." When asked how many people were expected for the mega event, the chief minister said that in the last Kumbh Mela of 2010, eight crore people had visited and this time the government was expecting more than eight crore pilgrims. He said that Rs 900 crore had been sought from the centre for the arrangement of Kumbh Mela.
The head of Mahanirvani Akhada Mahant Ravindra Puri said that all the ascetics were wishing and hoped that the Kumbh Mela of 2021 will be historical event and a magnificent show to the world.
Earlier, the Chief Minister attended the Ganpati festival celebrations at Peeth Bazaar in Jwalapur along with Cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik and number of BJP leaders and supporters. He also went to the temple of the presiding deity of Haridwar, Maya Devi and sought the blessings of the goddess.
Speaking to the media persons Mahant Hari Giri said that the ascetics have expressed their wish to revamp Maya Devi temple on the pattern of Chandrauday Mandir in Vrindavan. He said this historical Maya Devi temple finds reference in Hindu scriptures so Juna Akhada ascetics have sought permission from the state government to revamp Mayadevi and Bhairav Dev temples. The ascetic also said that the proposal was already sent to IIT Roorkee and other engineering institutions for the soil testing of the site where Maya Devi temple stands.
The problem of waterlogging in the sanctum sanctorum during rains and earthquakes needs to be resolved, said the ascetic.