Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India], May 12 : The portals of the shrine of Latu Devta, believed to be the brother of goddess Nanda Devi, were opened on the occasion of Buddha Purnima on Monday.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached Latu Dham and prayed for the happiness, prosperity and welfare of the country and the state.
CM Dhami said that along with the four Dhams in Uttarakhand, there are many important religious places like Tungnath, Rudranath, Jageshwar, Adi Kailash, and Adibadri.
In addition, small temples preserve the state's cultural traditions. The Chief Minister praised Latu Dham's historical, social, and cultural importance and said that this temple symbolises our thousands-of-year-old tradition.
He said that the tradition of visiting the Latu Dham temple with eyes blindfolded shows that faith is not only with the eyes but also with the heart.
CM Dhami said the state government is renovating ancient temples, identifying and preserving cultural heritage, and developing facilities around the temples.
The Chief Minister said that while an all-weather road has been constructed for the state's development, the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail line is also being constructed at a rapid pace.
In addition, master plan work is being done in Badrinath and Kedarnath Dham to provide passenger facilities in the Dhams.
Earlier in the day, CM Dhami also participated in the Shri Peetham Sthapana Mahotsav program of Shri Kalyanika Himalaya Devasthanam Trust at Dol Ashram in Lamgara, Almora.
"Baba Kalyandas Ji Maharaj has established Sriyantra in the ashram, which will become a centre of devotion for the whole world and India in the future. People from all over the world will come to this ashram to know peace, spirituality, and culture," said CM Dhami.