Page 57 - Mann ki Baat June 2022 - English

Pilgrimage or the practice
of journeying to sites where
religious powers, knowledge,
or experiences are deemed
accessible has found its earliest
references in ancient scriptures
like Rigveda and Puranas. It is a
ritual that involves reaching such
destinations with preliminary vows
and fasting, intensive cooperative
efforts among different pilgrim
groups, extensive travelling on
foot, and the constant singing of
devotional songs that keep their
energy levels on a high during
this transcendental journey. What
is important to note here is that
these pilgrimages signify more
than just the movement of a
person from one place to another.
For our sages, a pilgrimage was
important as an exploration of
inner and outer self.
For pilgrims, it is more than
merely visiting the shrines and
sanctums. It is also an important
gateway of cultural exploration, a
conquest for moral and spiritual
significance intertwined with
a curiosity of knowing about
other pilgrims, lands, culture and
traditions. The Char Dham Yatra is to pull the three wooden chariots
a perfect example of the collective carrying Lord Jagannath and his
consciousness of Indians. The high siblings.
altitude yatra opens during the
The present Government is aware
summer months of April or May of the importance of religious
and goes on till October. In 2019, it
tourism not only as an economic
witnessed a footfall of more than enabler but also as a tool to
34 lakh pilgrims from all around
ensure communal harmony.
India. This year, the numbers have
already touched the 16 lakh mark The Ministry of Tourism under
its Swadesh Darshan Scheme is
in its first month. Another great
example is the Jagannath Yatra in developing tourism infrastructure
st
Puri that began on 1 of July 2022, in the identified circuits, across the
after a break of two years due to country, having tourist potential in
COVID restrictions. More than 10 a planned and prioritized manner.
lakh devotees from across the Under the scheme, fifteen thematic
country thronged temple town circuits have been identified for

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