Mukhwa (Uttarakhand), March 6 - Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday offered prayers amidst the chanting of Vedic mantras by priests at the Mukhwa Temple, the winter abode of Goddess Ganga in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.
On this occasion, locals dressed in traditional attire warmly welcomed the Prime Minister with a dance performance, while Modi stood in the middle with folded hands. He also enjoyed the morning view of the distant snow-capped peaks surrounding the area.
It is noteworthy that Mukhwa village is located on the way to the Gangotri Temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga. Every year, when the gates of Gangotri Dham are closed for the winter, the idol of Goddess Ganga is taken from Gangotri Dham to Mukhwa Temple. Modi's maiden visit to the temple as Prime Minister is expected to boost winter travel and tourism in Uttarakhand.
His visit comes a day after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, headed by him, approved two major ropeway projects worth over Rs 6,000 crore for Kedarnath and Hemkunt Sahib.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami extended a warm welcome to the Prime Minister in a post on X. Dhami said in his tweet, "Hearty welcome and best wishes to the Prime Minister on his visit to Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, the holy land of religion, spirituality and sacrifice. The people of the state are excited to welcome the Prime Minister to Mukhwa-Harsil, a land rich in spirituality and natural beauty."
There should be no “off-season” for tourism in Uttarakhand: Modi
Harsil: After this, the Prime Minister addressed a rally in Harsil near Mukhwa village and advocated year-round tourism in Uttarakhand. He said that there should be no off-season in this beautiful hill state and this will strengthen the state’s economy to a large extent.
The Prime Minister said that if tourists come to this hill state in winter, they will get to see and appreciate the real view of Uttarakhand. He said, “The government’s vision of year-round tourism will strengthen the economy and create jobs for the youth.”
Modi said that some villages in the area were evacuated during the 1962 war with China and efforts are being made for their rehabilitation, the Prime Minister said.
He also referred to the two ropeway projects approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday – Sonprayag to Kedarnath and Gobind Ghat to Hemkunt Sahib Ji – and said that with the completion of these projects, the travel time will be reduced from several hours to just 30 minutes.