10 lakh pilgrims undertook Char Dham Yatra this year: Rawat

Around 10 lakh pilgrims undertook the Char Dham Yatra and two crore Kanwariyas visited the state this year.
"Around 10 lakh pilgrims undertook the Char Dham Yatra and 2 crore Kanwariyas visited the state this year, while around 5,000 people undertook the Nandarajjat pilgrimage safely," Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat today said.
The state government has been encouraging tourism and for this purpose flower festival will be organised at Nainital and Mussoorie, Rawat said.
The Chief Minister said this while inaugurating a new tourist sailing jetty at a yacht club in Nainital and a nearby rickshaw stand, a government release said.

He said that sailing competitions should be organised at regular interval to encourage youths to get proper training and win medals at competitions in the country and abroad.
Rawat also informed that the National Games would be held in the state in 2018.
The Chief Minister stressed on the need to coordinate the state's culture with natural beauty to attract more tourists.
Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Dinesh Agarwal who was present at the function said that two international cricket stadiums were being constructed at Haldwani and Dehradun.