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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami offered prayers at Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath, in the Rudraprayag district on Sunday morning and sought blessings to make the winter Char Dham Yatra successful.
Notably, Omkareshwar Temple is known to be Baba Kedarnath's winter residence. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "...We prayed that the winter pilgrimage which is going to begin be successful. May the lord's blessings keep on us... We are trying to establish every possible arrangement according to the winter pilgrimage. God has special courtesy to this place and sunshine remains here for 12 months as many of the places have foggy weather," CM said. "I appeal to all to come to Uttarakhand and experience the religious and tourism places," CM added while speaking to ANI. During his visit, he was given a conch shell by Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Chairman Ajendra Ajay at Omkareshwar Temple Ukhimath. Earlier, CM Dhami had underlined that the state government is working on plans to promote the winter Char Dham Yatra. "The state government is issuing guidelines to all concerned officials for the promotion of the winter Char Dham Yatra. All arrangements are being made for the winter journey. A high-level meeting will be held in the coming days regarding the Char Dham Yatra," the official statement quoted Dhami saying. He also assured that preparations for the upcoming Yatra would begin as soon as the current Yatra ends, and work would be done to provide people with employment during the winter journey. On Saturday while speaking to ANI has showed confidence in the winter Char Dham Yatra, and said that he believes that the Yatra will be a "game changer" for the state. "This time we are starting the winter pilgrimage. The plan has been made for it. Instructions for its preparation have also been given to all," he told ANI. During the winter months in Uttarakhand, the traditional Char Dham holy shrines--Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath--are closed due to heavy snowfall. However, the winter Char Dham Yatra involves a pilgrimage to alternative shrines like Ukhimath, Pandukeshwar, Kharsali, and Mukhwa, according to the state's tourism department. (ANI)
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