Traditional religious yatras are also means for facilitating communication with the common masses, said Chief Minister Harish Rawat after welcoming the 16th Vishwanath Jagdishila Doli Rathyatra at the town hall in Dehradun on Wednesday. Stating that the Jagishila Doli Yatra was not only a religious but also a socio-cultural activity, the CM stressed on the need for public initiatives for promotion of tourism in the State.
“We should travel to nearby tourist attractions and pilgrimage centres to develop intra-State tourism. A collective effort is needed to promote tourism in the State,” said Rawat, while also appreciating the role of Cabinet Minister and the coordinator of this yatra - Mantri Prasad Naithani. Speaking on the occasion, Naithani informed that the Vishwanath Jagdishila Doli Yatra was started in the year 2000 from the sacred Vishon mountain. This yatra would cover about 5,000 km across the State’s 13 districts.
The procession which began from Haridwar on May 5, will culminate at Vishon mountain on the occasion of Ganga Dussehra on May 28. The grievances of the locals would also be heard by the minister along the route of the procession. Dehradun Mayor Vinod Chamoli, OBC commission chairman Ashok Verma, MlAs Rajkumar, Mamta Rakesh and others were present on the occasion.