Saraswati river binds nation in ‘holy thread of cultural unity’: Saini

Pehowa (Kurukshetra): Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday said the sacred Saraswati river binds not only Haryana but the entire nation in a "holy bond of cultural unity".The state govt is working actively to rejuvenate the Saraswati river by interlinking rivers and constructing Saraswati reservoirs and water bodies. The govt is also developing major pilgrimage sites associated with the river as dedicated Saraswati Tirthas, the CM said while addressing the concluding ceremony of the Saraswati Mahotsav 2026.The function was organised by the Haryana Sarasvati Heritage Development Board (HSHDB) on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami at the Saraswati Tirtha in Pehowa.Earlier, Saini inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 26 projects worth Rs 63.86 crore aimed at the revival of the Saraswati river. These included the inauguration of 16 projects costing Rs 27.59 crore and laying of foundation stone for 10 projects worth Rs 36.27 crore.He also laid the foundation stone of a master plan for the comprehensive development of Saraswati Tirtha.Before the event, Saini, along with other dignitaries, offered prayers at the Saraswati temple. Floral tributes were also paid to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Deen Bandhu Sir Chhotu Ram.Extending greetings to the people of the state, the CM said it was a matter of pride that Kurukshetra was carved out as a separate district on this day in 1973, and was now being developed at three times faster pace.Describing Saraswati Mahotsav as a festival symbolising the revival of ancient civilisation and culture, Saini said it aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Rashtriya Gaurav Abhiyan.He noted that events were also being held at Saraswati Nagar (Yamunanagar), Pundri and Kisal Tirtha (Kaithal), and Hans Dher Tirtha (Jind).Saini recalled that as Gujarat CM, Narendra Modi had made efforts to revive the Saraswati by linking it with the waters of the Narmada and Sabarmati, and said Haryana was following a similar path.He said the state govt was working with over 75 premier research institutions, including ISRO, the Geological Survey of India, ONGC, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, and the Central Ground Water Board, to rejuvenate the Saraswati river.Scientific studies by these institutions established that Saraswati is not a mythical river, and that ancient river channels still exist from Adi Badri to the Rann of Kutch, with groundwater dating back 5,000 to 14,000 years and links to Himachal Pradesh glaciers, said Saini.He further said the govt aimed to develop all major pilgrimage sites associated with the Saraswati river as Saraswati Tirthas and was developing the entire stretch from Adi Badri to Sirsa as a national tourism circuit.The circuit will include historic locations such as Kurukshetra, Pehowa, Kaithal, Hisar, Rakhigarhi, Fatehabad, and Sirsa, boosting tourism while creating new employment and business opportunities for the youth, said the CM.Highlighting infrastructure development, Saini said an historic agreement was signed with Himachal Pradesh, under which a dam on the Som river and the Som-Saraswati barrage were being constructed.Over the last 10 years, 18 new bridges were built along the Saraswati river routes, 111 heritage sites on its banks were restored, and Saraswati Vatika was established in the Pehowa Saraswati forest, he said.The CM also noted that a chapter on the Saraswati river was included in the NCERT textbooks.Dhuman Singh Kirmach, vice-chairman, HSHDB, said although the board's budget was only Rs 6 crore, nearly Rs 100 crore was being spent on development works related to the Saraswati river due to the CM's efforts.Kirmach said this was the 3rd major Saraswati Mahotsav, with the 1st held in 2017, and that pilgrimage sites, ponds, and ghats were being developed along the Saraswati riverbanks.Saini, on the occasion, also released a souvenir of the HSHDB – The Saraswati River Gatha.MSID:: 127283902 413 |