Kejriwal announces Sita temple in Amritsar, new pilgrimage routes, bhajan events
Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced a series of religious and cultural initiatives in Punjab, including the construction of a grand temple dedicated to Mata Sita
Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced a series of religious and cultural initiatives in Punjab, including the construction of a grand temple dedicated to Mata Sita, Luv and Kush in Amritsar, the expansion of the Mukh Mantri Teerath Yatra Yojna, statewide staging of the play Hamare Ram, and the organisation of the devotional programme Ek Shaam Shivji Ke Naam across all 22 cities of the state. Read Full Story The announcements came as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convenor, accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, joined thousands of devotees at the Ek Shaam Bhagwan Shivji Ke Naam bhajan evening in Amritsar. AAP Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia and other senior party leaders were also present on the occasion. Addressing the gathering, Kejriwal said the Punjab government had organised Ek Shaam Bhagwan Shivji Ke Naam, featuring devotional singer Hansraj Raghuvanshi, after receiving an overwhelming response to the first edition held in Jalandhar. "Many people come to me and said that never before has any government organised a 'Bhajan Sandhya' like this. This is the first government to hold bhajan evenings in this manner for the people and to strengthen their devotion. Earlier, such a programme was held in Jalandhar, and today it is being organised in Amritsar," he said. Announcing the first initiative, Kejriwal said the Ek Shaam Shivji Ke Naam programme would now be organised across all 22 cities of Punjab.
"The series of Ek Shaam Shiv Ji Ke Naam, which began in Jalandhar and has now reached Amritsar, will soon be organised across all 22 cities of Punjab. 'Bhajan Sandhya' will now be held in all 22 cities," he said. Kejriwal then announced the ongoing redevelopment of Patiala's Kali Mata Temple. "There is the famous Kali Mata Temple in Patiala. The temple holds immense religious significance. People's wishes are fulfilled there. Kali Mata removes everyone's sorrows, fulfils everyone's prayers, and visiting the temple brings immense peace and solace," he said. He added that the Punjab government was redeveloping the temple at a cost of 80 crore and expected the work to be completed by September. "I request all of you to visit the Kali Mata Temple after October. You will truly enjoy it. I have personally seen the architectural model prepared for the temple, and the construction work is progressing at a very fast pace. A magnificent temple is taking shape. I believe that once completed, it will become the largest temple in the whole of North India," Kejriwal said. Expanding the Mukh Mantri Teerath Yatra Yojna, Kejriwal announced three new pilgrimage routes in addition to the existing services to Darbar Sahib and Anandpur Sahib. "The Punjab Government runs the Mukh Mantri Teerath Yatra Yojna. At present, the teerath scheme operates on two routes, one to Darbar Sahib and the other to Anandpur Sahib.
