Chandigarh - Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal said that the state government has launched the Mukhyamantri Tirth Darshan Yojana under which pilgrims will be taken for darshan of Ayodhya, Sri Harmandir Sahib Sri Darbar Sahib, Takhat Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Saheb and Kashi-Vishwanath. The government has started a portal and will provide free travel facility to registered pilgrims through this portal. Around 700 pilgrims have already registered on the portal.
The Chief Minister was interacting with the media after flagging off a bus of devotees travelling from Karnal to Ayodhya started under Mukhyamantri Tirth Darshan Yojana on Wednesday.
Sh. Manohar Lal said that the registered pilgrims will be taken for darshan of Ayodhya, Sri Harmandir Sahib Sri Darbar Sahib, Takhat Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Saheb, and Kashi-Vishwanath.
In addition to this, portals will gradually open for other pilgrimage sites so that those interested in visiting other places in the country can register. Currently, the facility is being provided free of cost for those earning less than Rs. 1.80 lakh annually and for people over 60 years of age. However, there are requests from many people to provide some facilities to others as well by charging some amount or fees because group travel has its own joy, and this is being considered.
The Chief Minister said that there was a struggle of 500 years to build a temple at the birthplace of Lord Shri Rama in Ayodhya, but finally, on January 22, Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi did the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) of Shri Ramlalla in the newly built Shri Ram temple, enhancing the glory of the country.He said that people wanted to visit Ayodhya and see the Ram temple, so the Haryana government announced the Mukhyamantri Tirth Darshan Yojana in a planned manner, which was launched from the holy land of Karnal on Wednesday, March 6. Around 52 devotees were sent to Ayodhya in the first bus. These devotees will stay overnight in Lucknow, where arrangements for their meals have been made, and then they will visit Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya. After another overnight stay in Lucknow, the devotees will return to Karnal on March 8. Similarly, buses from different places and trains can also be booked if there is a larger number of devotees.
On this occasion, MP, Sh. Sanjay Bhatia, MLAs, Sh. Harvinder Kalyan, Sh. Ram Kumar Kashyap, Director General, Information, Public Relations, Language, and Culture Department, Sh. Mandip Singh Brar, Deputy Commissioner, Sh. Anish Yadav and other dignitaries were present.