Ganga Yatra to have aarti along the river, flower petals to be showered

LUCKNOW: With eight Union ministers, including home minister Amit Shah, and 56 ministers from Uttar Pradesh leading the four-day Ganga Yatra starting on January 27 from two different destinations to culminate at Kanpur, the UP government is all set to launch a blitzkrieg along the river by showering flower petals, conducting Ganga “aarti”, playing religious songs and holding public meetings in a mass awakening programme.
Across 26 districts along the Ganga, the government plans to build special ‘chabutaras’ (platforms) to hold Ganga “aarti” every evening.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath might take a dip in the river at a place along the route.
During the yatra, the government will publicise plans and programmes of the state and Centre. “However, the government will stay away from pro-CAA campaigning during the Ganga Yatra,” said state jal shakti minister Mahendra Singh.
“The government is committed to reviving the glorious day of “Maa Ganga” and the four-day yatra was aimed at generating a euphoria of commitment for the river, which was a symbol of faith and wealth. The decision to create mass awakening for the river was taken soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the first meeting of the National Ganga Council in Kanpur recently,” said Singh.
Two different yatras will be rolled out on January 27—from Bijnor (from where the river enters the state from adjoining Uttarakhand) and Ballia, the last destination of the river in the state after which it flows into Bihar.
Chief ministers of UP and Uttarakhand will flag off the yatra from Bijnor while governor Anandiben Patel will flag off from Ballia. Union home minister Amit Shah is likely to address the culmination of the two yatras at Kanpur.