- Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, along with his wife, attended the Shiv Mahapuran Katha, offered prayers at the Vyas Peeth, and prayed for the welfare of the people of the state
- Five Shakti Peethas are being developed on the lines of Char Dham, giving religious and spiritual tourism a new identity
- Through the Shri Ramlala Ayodhya Dham Darshan Yojana, more than 50 thousand devotees have already had the darshan of Ramlala
- Through the Chief Minister Teerth Darshan Yojana, people are getting the opportunity to visit 19 major pilgrimage sites
Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, along with his wife Smt. Kaushalya Devi Sai, arrived today to listen to the Katha on the final day of the seven-day Shiv Mahapuran Katha organized near Jayanti Stadium in Bhilai Nagar. Chief Minister Shri Sai performed the prescribed rituals and worshipped the Vyaspeeth, praying to Lord Bholenath for the happiness, prosperity and peace of Chhattisgarh and the welfare of the people of the state.
Addressing the large gathering of Shiva devotees, Chief Minister Shri Sai said that in Bhilai, the steel city of Chhattisgarh, the birthplace of Mata Kaushalya and the maternal home of Lord Shri Ram, an uninterrupted stream of devotion to Lord Shiva has been flowing for the past seven days. This is a fortunate occasion for all of us. Thousands of devotees have had the opportunity to connect with religion, spirituality and Sanatan culture through the Shiv Mahapuran Katha. Today, he too had the good fortune of listening to this sacred Katha along with his wife.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that the land of Chhattisgarh has been enriched by the ancient tradition of worshipping Lord Shiva and Shakti. Lord Mahadev is enshrined in different forms in all four directions of the state. Hatkeshwar Mahadev in Raipur, Bhoramdev in Kabirdham, Kuleshwar Mahadev in Rajim, Champeshwar Mahadev in Champaran, Bhuteshwar Mahadev in Gariyaband, Gandheshwar Mahadev in Sirpur and Madheshwar Mahadev in Jashpur, along with numerous other ancient Shiva shrines, are centers of our faith and spiritual heritage. The grace of Devadhidev Mahadev is present in every particle of Chhattisgarh, and with His blessings, the state is continuously moving forward on the path of happiness and prosperity.
The Chief Minister said that along with Lord Shiva, many sacred forms of Adishakti are also enshrined in Chhattisgarh. The state government is continuously working to preserve the state’s rich religious and cultural heritage and for the planned development of pilgrimage sites. Work is underway on a plan to develop the Shakti Peethas of Kudargarhi Mata in Surajpur, Maa Chandrahassini in Chandrapur, Maa Mahamaya in Ratanpur, Maa Bamleshwari in Dongargarh and Maa Danteshwari in Dantewada on the lines of Char Dham. This will not only expand better facilities for devotees but also give new momentum to religious and spiritual tourism in the state.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that it is the endeavor of our government to provide as many devotees of the state as possible with the opportunity to visit the country’s major religious sites.The state government has also restarted the Chief Minister Pilgrimage Scheme, under which eligible devotees are being provided the opportunity to travel to and visit major pilgrimage sites across the country. Through the Shri Ramlala Ayodhya Dham Darshan Scheme, more than 50 thousand devotees from Chhattisgarh have so far visited Ayodhya Dham and had darshan of Lord Shri Ramlala.
Chief Minister Shri Sai felicitated Katha narrator Pandit Pradeep Mishra and said that through the Shiv Mahapuran Katha, he is conveying the message of the glory of Lord Shiva, Sanatan culture and spiritual values to people across the country and the world. He said that the organization of the Shiv Mahapuran Katha for the third consecutive time in the steel city of Bhilai is indicative of the deep faith of the devotees here and their devotion to religion.
Chief Minister Shri Sai, on behalf of the people of the state, welcomed and felicitated Pandit Pradeep Mishra on the sacred land of Chhattisgarh. He congratulated and extended his best wishes to the organizing committee, supporters and all Shiva devotees for the successful organization of the seven-day Shiv Mahapuran Katha.
On this occasion, Vaishali Nagar MLA Shri Rikes Sen, Divisional Commissioner Shri Satyanarayan Rathore, Inspector General of Police Shri Abhishek Shandilya, Collector Shri Abhijit Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police Shri Vijay Agrawal, Shri Daya Singh of the organizing committee, along with office-bearers of the committee, officials from various departments and a large number of devotees were present.
