Uttarakhand Government Moving Forward with the Mantra of “Development Along with Heritage”: CM Dhami
Nainital, September 2026 : Nainital was immersed in devotion to Goddess Nanda-Sunanda as Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the Maa Nanda-Sunanda Festival on Tuesday and prayed for the happiness, peace and prosperity of the people of the state.
The Chief Minister paid obeisance at the feet of Maa Nanda-Sunanda and extended greetings to women, senior citizens, youth and children attending the festival.
Nanda Devi Festival Celebrates Faith, Culture and Tradition
Addressing the gathering, Dhami said the Nanda Devi Festival of Nainital is not merely a fair but a celebration of faith, culture and traditions passed down through generations. He said the tradition of welcoming Maa Nanda-Sunanda, along with folk songs, Jhora-Chanchari, Dhol-Damau and other forms of folk culture, comes alive through the festival.
“A society that takes pride in its roots and culture moves forward with confidence,” he said.
Dhami said Nainital is renowned worldwide for its beautiful lake, mountains and green valleys, but the district is not merely a tourism destination. It is also a land of faith and spirituality, with important religious centres such as the Maa Naina Devi temple, Hanumangarhi and Kainchi Dham.
He said devotees also receive the blessings of Lord Mahadev at Mukteshwar. The confluence of nature and spirituality gives Nainital a distinctive identity, he added.
‘Development Along with Heritage’
The Chief Minister said efforts were being made across the country to preserve and develop India’s ancient religious and cultural heritage. He cited the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Kashi Vishwanath Dham, Mahakal Lok and development works at Kedarnath and Badrinath as examples of major faith centres receiving renewed recognition.
In the same spirit, he said, the Uttarakhand government was taking the state forward with the mantra of “development along with heritage”.
Dhami said that, on the lines of Kedarkhand, major mythological and religious sites in the Kumaon region were also being developed under the Mansakhand Temple Mala Mission.
The objective, he said, was not only to provide better facilities to pilgrims but also to preserve the original character of the state’s ancient heritage. Development of major religious destinations, including Maa Naina Devi, Kainchi Dham and Mukteshwar, would give a fresh impetus to religious tourism in the region.
Religious Tourism to Generate Employment
The Chief Minister said the state government was continuously working to promote religious tourism. Increased tourist and pilgrim footfall, he said, would create employment opportunities for local youth, provide better avenues for women to pursue self-employment and open wider markets for local products.
He said this would also help take Uttarakhand’s culture and traditions to people across India and abroad.
For the overall development of Nainital district, the government was focusing on strengthening basic infrastructure in health, education, roads, tourism and connectivity, Dhami said.
He added that the government wanted people living in the hill regions to have access to quality healthcare and education without having to travel unnecessarily long distances. The objective, he said, was to ensure that the benefits of development reached the last person in society.
Government Committed to Protecting Devbhoomi’s Identity
Dhami said development had to go hand in hand with the protection of Uttarakhand’s land, resources and cultural identity. He said the state government had strengthened land-related laws.
Under amendments made in 2025, provisions were introduced restricting people from other states from purchasing land in the agriculture and horticulture categories in 11 hill districts, he said.
The Chief Minister said the government remained committed to protecting the culture, identity and resources of Devbhoomi. He also said strict action was being taken against activities described by the government as “land jihad” and “love jihad”.
UCC Strengthens Women’s Rights
Dhami said the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) had been implemented in Uttarakhand with the objective of ensuring women’s rights and promoting women’s empowerment.
The Uniform Civil Code came into effect in the state on January 27, 2025, making Uttarakhand the first Indian state in recent times to implement such a comprehensive state-level civil code.
35,000 Youth Given Government Employment
The Chief Minister said the state government was continuously working to create employment opportunities for young people. He said an anti-copying law had been implemented to ensure transparency in government recruitment and protect the interests of candidates who prepare and compete through their own efforts.
Dhami said 35,000 young people had so far received opportunities for employment in government services in the state.
During his interaction with the gathering, the Chief Minister asked the audience how many young people had received government jobs over the past five years. The crowd responded with the figure “35,000”.
Better Markets for Women’s Products
Dhami said the government was working continuously to make women in Uttarakhand economically self-reliant. Women producing local products through self-help groups, single-woman entrepreneurship initiatives and other programmes would be provided suitable places and better markets to sell their products, he said.
The Chief Minister said dedicated centres would be made available where women could sell their products at appropriate prices. Such initiatives, he said, would enable women to convert their skills into sustainable businesses and strengthen their financial independence.
He also said women’s self-help groups had been provided access to interest-free loans of up to ₹5 lakh.
Dhami said better markets and fair prices for local products would increase women’s incomes and enable them to contribute more significantly to their families as well as to the state economy.
CM Participates in Nanda-Sunanda Aarti
During the festival, Dhami also participated in the aarti of Maa Nanda-Sunanda. He performed the rituals and sought the blessings of the deities, praying for the happiness, peace and prosperity of the people of Uttarakhand.
The Chief Minister said the state government was working with an “unwavering resolve” to make Uttarakhand one of the leading states in the country. He said the government’s priorities included providing employment and self-employment opportunities to youth, empowering women, protecting the state’s culture and heritage and taking Uttarakhand towards new levels of development.
Praying for the continued blessings of Maa Nanda-Sunanda, Dhami expressed hope that Uttarakhand would remain prosperous and happy. He congratulated the organisers and everyone associated with the festival for its grand conduct and extended his greetings to the people of the state on the occasion.
Cabinet Minister Ram Singh Kaida, MLA Sarita Arya, BJP district president Pratap Bisht, nominated Minister of State Dr Anil Kapoor Dabbu, Shanti Mehra, Shankar Koranga, Advocate General S.N. Babulkar, Divisional Commissioner Deepak Rawat, IG Nivedita Kukreti, District Magistrate Lalit Mohan Ryal, Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Manjunath T.C., Superintendent of Police Manoj Katyayal and several other officials and public representatives attended the event.
Representatives of the Sri Ram Sevak Sabha, including president Manoj Shah and general secretary Jagdish Bawari, along with other social, cultural and administrative representatives, were also present.
