Union Minister of Power Sh. Manohar Lal stated that efforts to revive the holy Saraswati River in Haryana began in 1986. The Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board was established 10 years ago to oversee this important initiative. Over the past decade, approximately 80 percent of the land along the Saraswati River’s route has been acquired by the Board either through donation or purchase to remove encroachments.
Once this work is completed, efforts to restore the Saraswati River’s flow will be fully realized. Union Minister Sh. Manohar Lal was speaking at the closing ceremony of the International Saraswati Mahotsav, organized by the Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board, at Pehowa Saraswati Tirath today.
Earlier, Union Minister Sh. Manohar Lal went around the exhibition organized by the Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board and the Saras Mela. He also inaugurated the cultural evening featuring renowned folk artist Gajendra Phogat. During the event, he extended his congratulations and best wishes to the people of the state on the occasion of Basant Panchami and Saraswati Jayanti.
He stated that rivers have been regarded as sacred for thousands of years, and the five elements of nature—land, sky, air, fire, and water—have always been revered as divine. Worshiping these elements fosters good values, and with these values, the foundation of a strong society and nation can be established.
Keeping these principles in mind, programs like the International Saraswati Mahotsav and International Gita Mahotsav are being organized to preserve our culture and familiarize the younger generation with our rich cultural heritage. He stated that the Vedas and Puranas were written on the banks of the sacred Saraswati River, flowing through the land of Haryana. In recognition of this historical significance, the government has renamed Bilaspur as Vyaspur, in honor of Maharishi Vyas, and Mustajapur as Saraswati Nagar.
The Uni on Minister stated that this area is known as Dev Bhoomi, and efforts are being made to preserve its history and culture. Continuous research on the Saraswati River is underway and will continue in the future. Programs like the Saraswati Mahotsav are being organized to raise public awareness about this important initiative.