Darshan Kunwar | Sep 25, 2014, 10.39 PM IST
Dehradun: A fortnight after he announced that elderly pilgrims would get a free ride to the Char Dham shrines, chief minister Harish Rawat flagged off two buses with 48 pilgrims bound for Badrinath from the Beejapur guest house.
The free pilgrimage is being organised under the 'Mere Bujurag Mere Teerath' (My elderly, my pilgrimage) scheme of the state tourism department. The programme is also part of the state's attempts to boost religious tourism.
Rawat said his government had decided to send a total of 2,600 devotees aged above 60 years on pilgrimage this yatra season. About 200 pilgrims would be chosen for this from each of the state's 13 districts. The chief minister said that in the next season of the yatra, over 25,000 elderly devotees from different districts in Garhwal and Kumaon divisions would undertake the Char Dham yatra, which begins in May each year.
"This will aid elderly couples who want to undertake the yatra, but cannot, for lack of money," Rawat said.
"We are extremely thankful to the Harish Rawat government for making this free and sacred trip possible for us," said 75-year-old Kunwar Singh Negi from Dehradun, who had set off in the bus on Thursday with his wife.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/48-elderly-pilgrims-get-free-ride-to-Badrinath/articleshow/43450303.cms
The free pilgrimage is being organised under the 'Mere Bujurag Mere Teerath' (My elderly, my pilgrimage) scheme of the state tourism department. The programme is also part of the state's attempts to boost religious tourism.
Rawat said his government had decided to send a total of 2,600 devotees aged above 60 years on pilgrimage this yatra season. About 200 pilgrims would be chosen for this from each of the state's 13 districts. The chief minister said that in the next season of the yatra, over 25,000 elderly devotees from different districts in Garhwal and Kumaon divisions would undertake the Char Dham yatra, which begins in May each year.
"This will aid elderly couples who want to undertake the yatra, but cannot, for lack of money," Rawat said.
"We are extremely thankful to the Harish Rawat government for making this free and sacred trip possible for us," said 75-year-old Kunwar Singh Negi from Dehradun, who had set off in the bus on Thursday with his wife.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/48-elderly-pilgrims-get-free-ride-to-Badrinath/articleshow/43450303.cms
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