Uma Bharti offers prayers in Uttarkashi

Former Union minister Uma Bharti, who is on a personal visit from Gangotri in Uttarakhand to Ganga Sagar in West Bengal, offered prayers at several temples here on Tuesday and greeted locals on the occasion of Bhai Dooj.

Bharti began her visit from Gangotri on October 14 and stayed for a few days there. She arrived here on Tuesday morning via Bhairavghati, Dharali, Jhala, Jaspur, Sukki, Dabrani and Bhatwadi and offered prayers atKedar, Hanuman and Shakti temples in the town.

Ganga originates from Gangotri and in Ganga Sagar, the river merges into the Bay of Bengal.

The objective of the visit is to create awareness among people living in villages along the banks of the Ganga to keep the river clean and its flow uninterrupted, the former Ganga rejuvenation minister said.

She is undertaking the visit largely on foot but also uses 'dolis' (makeshift chairlifts) where the terrain makes walking difficult.