Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 28: As a part of Navratra celebrations, ‘Surya Putri Aarti’ was today performed on the bank of river Tawi with great religious fervour and gaiety.
Minister for Housing, Horticulture, Culture, Youth Services and Sports Raman Bhalla and Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma performed ‘Surya Putri Aarti’ separately and offered prayers for peace and tranquility in the State.
After ‘Surya Putri Aarti’, the devotees offered flowers and earthen lamps ‘diyas’ to river Tawi in order to pay regards to their ancestors.
Addressing the pilgrims, Mr. Bhalla said that Government is taking up several steps to develop Bahu Fort area which is one of the fast emerging pilgrims destination in the State by providing modern lines way side facilities to the visitors.
Minister informed that Government has dedicated Rs. 1 crore LED lights to tourists at Bahu Fort which will facilitate the visitors besides giving aesthetic look to this historical destination. He said that Government has earmarked Rs. 45 lakh for illumination of outer periphery area of Bahu Fort and Rs. 55 lakh for inner area of the Maha Kali Mata temple, adding that in the first phase, 105 LED focus lights for illumination of outer area of the Bahu Fort has been dedicated to the visiting tourists today. The Phase-II 130 LED lights in inner area of the Maha Kali temple would be inaugurated soon after completion of other allied works under the project.
Underlining the commitment of the Government to developed historical and religious destination, Sham Lal said that all out efforts have been launched to promote pilgrimage tourism in the state. He said that the state famous for its ancient holy shrines Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Shri Amarnathji, Shiv Khori, Shri Buddha Amarnath and Shri Raghunathji Temple and people from across the country and state visit these shrines in large numbers every year.
He sought cooperation’s from civil society to save Tawi River from pollution. He said that the local nallahs of the city which pollute the water of the River Tawi and as result of which the execution works of artificial lake got affected. He further said that efforts would be made to start the work on the artificial lake project expeditiously.
Earlier, renowned artists of city of temples presented devotional songs which were high applauded by hundreds of pilgrims gathered on the bank of river Tawi.
In his address, Director Tourism Soujanya Sharma informed the Minister that this year Navratra festival is being cerebrated in a low key affair due to natural calamity.
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