Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched the ‘Online Prasad Chhinmastika Bhog’ of Mata Chintpurni temple in Una district through video conferencing from Shimla today.Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister said that the Covid-19 pandemic has forced the State Government to close all the temples and religious shrines of the State to avoid social gathering and spread of the virus. He said that although most of the shrines in the State were providing online ‘Darshan’ facility to the devotees but it was for the first time that facility of providing ‘Prasad’ to the devotees has been launched with cooperation of the Postal Department.Jai Ram Thakur said that the temples of the State drew lakhs of devotees from throughout the country particularly during the ‘Shrawan Ashtami Melas’ but this time the temples have been closed. He appreciated the efforts of the District Administration Una for providing home delivery service of ‘Prasad-Bhog’ to the devotees of the shrine. He also thanked the Indian Postal Department for its cooperation in online home delivery of the ‘Prasad’.Chief Minister said that the State Government was committed to develop Himachal Pradesh as a best destination for religious tourism. He said that all the major temples and shrines of the State were being developed and maintained to attract devotees and religious tourists. He said that Mata Chintpurni Temple was one of the most sacred religious place of the region which draw tourists from all over the world.
Jai Ram Thakur said that the State Government would take necessary steps to provide better connectivity to the shrine besides providing good infrastructure to facilitate the devotees visiting this shrine.Chief Minister said that people of the State would now be able to get ‘Prasad’ of this holy shrine at their door steps by applying online for ‘Darshan and Prasad’. He said that with this Himachal Pradesh has become amongst the few State after Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and Baba Kashi Vishwanath, Banaras to have facility of home delivery of ‘Prasad’.Jai Ram Thakur said that the State Government would consider sympathetically the demand of providing better drinking water facility to the temple complex and surrounding areas.Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Virender Kanwar thanked the Chief Minister for being considerate towards the developmental needs of the district. He said that it was during the tenure of the present State Government that the road leading to Mata Chintpurni Temple was being upgraded and maintained by spending about Rs. 16.15 crore.MLA Chintpurni Balbir Chaudhary welcomed the Chief Minister and urged him to expedite work on sewerage facility in Chintpurni. He also detailed various other demands of the area.Chief Post Master General Sunita Kumar said that the department would ensure time bound and proper delivery of ‘Prasad’ to the devotees.Deputy Commissioner Una Sandeep Kumar welcomed the Chief Minister and said that devotees would be able to get Prasad by visiting the official website of Mata Chintapurni viz. www.matashrichintpurni.com/online-prasad .SDM Ms. Torul presented vote of thanks.Former BJP President Satpal Satti and Vice Chairman SIDC Prof. Ram Kumar were present on the occasion among others.