Three new pilgrimage routes have been added to Punjab government's free tirth yatra scheme from today, according to a social media post shared by Arvind Kejriwal, who congratulated everyone on the addition.
The new routes added
As per Kejriwal's post, the Punjab government's pilgrimage scheme now includes three new routes, Haridwar-Rishikesh, Mathura-Vrindavan and Salasar-Khatu Shyam. This means devotees under the scheme can now travel to Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mathura and Vrindavan, as well as Salasar Dham and Khatu Shyam ji. The scheme already covered several pilgrimage sites earlier, but these three routes give devotees more options than before.
What is the free pilgrimage scheme
Punjab's Bhagwant Mann government has been running a free tirth yatra scheme for elderly citizens for some time, under which pilgrims travel in AC buses at no cost. According to reports, the state government also bears the cost of food and stay for elderly pilgrims during these trips. The scheme's coverage has been expanded from time to time, with new religious destinations added along the way. As part of this latest expansion, a "Shiv Night" event is also reported to be organised in every district. Earlier, a batch of pilgrims had also left from Gurdaspur on a three-day trip covering five religious sites, including Anandpur Sahib. This shows the scheme is not limited to announcements alone but is actively running on the ground.
About Haridwar
Haridwar is a sacred town in Uttarakhand's Haridwar district and one of the major pilgrimage centres of Sanatan Dharma. It is regarded as one of the seven holy sites for Hindus. The Ganga river, after travelling around 253 kilometres from its source at Gaumukh at a height of 314 metres, enters the plains for the first time at Haridwar, which is why the town is also called "Gangadwar". The word Haridwar itself means "the gateway to Hari, or God". This is why millions of devotees visit the town every year.
A separate pilgrimage initiative in the news
Apart from the state government's scheme, the BJP has also been running its own programme called "Panch Tirth Yatra" in Punjab, seen as an effort to reach out to the state's roughly 32 percent Dalit voters. The Punjab BJP chief had flagged off buses carrying pilgrims for this yatra. This initiative is entirely separate from the state government's free pilgrimage scheme and the two should not be confused.
What Kejriwal wrote
In his post, Arvind Kejriwal wrote, "Three new pilgrimage routes are starting today under the Punjab government, Haridwar-Rishikesh, Mathura-Vrindavan and Salasar-Khatu Shyam. Congratulations to everyone." He also shared a live link along with the post.
Public reaction
Reactions to the post were mixed. While some users congratulated the government on the scheme, several others raised questions about other issues in Punjab and sought answers from the government on those as well.
