Uttarakhand's Winter Pilgrimage: Now a Year-Round Spiritual Journey

Uttarakhand's Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami extends the state's winter pilgrimage to a year-long event, allowing devotees to visit Char Dham temples throughout the year. This initiative is part of a strategy to boost tourism and provide local employment. Additionally, digital projects to enhance public services were launched.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has transformed the state's winter pilgrimage into a full-year event, a move he announced on X. Thanks to guidance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttarakhand's pilgrims can now visit Char Dham temples during every season, expanding from the previous six-month restriction.

This decision aligns with broader efforts to boost tourism and spiritual travel across the region. According to CM Dhami, devotees can experience spiritual renewal by visiting Char Dham's winter seats, while an influx of tourists to the state's scenic locations aids economic growth during traditionally off-peak months.

Dhami also highlighted the economic benefits of this initiative, which promises to generate local employment opportunities. As tourism becomes a perennial affair, local communities could see significant economic uplift.

Additionally, CM Dhami launched several digital initiatives created by the Department of Information Technology and NIC. He emphasized the importance of these projects in making public services more efficient amid evolving cybersecurity and data safety challenges. Developed under the S3WaaS framework, these platforms aim to streamline public access to a diverse array of services.

The Chief Minister further informed that the ITDA in Uttarakhand has been designated as an Authentication User Agency and Key User Agency by UIDAI. This development will facilitate Aadhaar-based services, including E-KYC, through various state department portals such as the UCC and Virtual Registry.(ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)