Almora: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced plans to include more than 60 ancient temples in the Kumaon region as part of the Manaskhand corridor. This announcement was made by Dhami during the inauguration of the Ma Purnagiri fair at Tanakpur in the Champawat district. The Manaskhand corridor, which was one of Dhami's major pre-poll promises, will consist of Goljyu Mandir, Patal Bhuvaneshwar, Kot Bhramari, Devidhura, Kainchidham, Bal Sundari, and Ma Purnagiri temples among others.
Dhami stated that the state government's priority is to provide the best facilities to devotees visiting the Purnagiri fair. To this end, a ropeway to the Purnagiri temple has been proposed. The chief minister also inaugurated hot air balloon and para motor adventure activities at the fair and encouraged the district magistrate to explore other locations where such activities could be extended, thus connecting more youths with them.
The Purnagiri fair is one of the largest in North India and was visited by more than 35 lakh people last year. Dhami, who garlanded devotees coming to the fair and took 'prasad' from a 'bhandara' organized on the occasion, also did rafting from Charan Mandir on Tanakpur-Jauljibi road to Boom, covering a distance of 11 km, accompanied by Almora MP Ajay Tamta.
In addition to announcing the inclusion of the ancient temples in the Manaskhand corridor, Dhami also stated that an international rafting championship will be held in Tanakpur in September this year. This announcement is likely to boost tourism in Uttarakhand, which is known for its scenic beauty and religious sites.
The inclusion of more than 60 ancient temples in the Manaskhand corridor is expected to attract more devotees to Uttarakhand and boost the state's economy. It is also likely to create job opportunities in the tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The state government's focus on providing better facilities to devotees and promoting adventure activities is expected to make Uttarakhand a popular tourist destination once again.