Shimla, Jun 24 (PTI) Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced that the yearly state-level Maa Shoolini Fair at Solan will be elevated to a national-level event from next year, a statement issued here on Saturday said.
After inaugurating the three-day fair at Solan on Friday, Sukhu paid obeisance to goddess Shoolini Mata and launched a website of the Maa Shoolini Temple and released a souvenir on the occasion.
“Himachal, being a ‘Devbhoomi’, is a land of several deities with people having deep faith in them,” the statement quoted Sukhu as saying.
The chief minister said once the fair becomes a national event, it will provide a larger platform to local artists.
Himachal Pradesh is going through transformation and despite economic challenges, the government is striving to revive the state’s economy in the next four years, Sukhu added.
Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated the Sainik Rest House at Solan constructed with an outlay of Rs 3.15 crore.
In the fair’s first cultural evening on Friday, Punjabi singer Jassi Gill enthralled the audience with his performance.
The Solan town is named after Shoolini Mata. Held every year in the month of June, the fair has special attractions, including a flower exhibition, games competitions and cultural events.
The highlight of the fair is the ‘shobha yatra’ or procession where the idol deity of Shoolini Mata is carried around the town in a palanquin. The goddess halts at her sister’s place for three days and then returns to her own temple.
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