Sacred Saraswati river binds Haryana and entire nation in holy thread of cultural unity: CM Nayab Singh Saini

Pehowa (Kurukshetra): Haryana chief minister (CM) Nayab Singh Saini on Friday said that the sacred Saraswati River binds not only Haryana but the entire nation in a holy bond of cultural unity.

He said the state government is working actively to rejuvenate the Saraswati River by interlinking rivers and constructing Saraswati reservoirs and water bodies, while also developing major pilgrimage sites associated with the river as dedicated Saraswati Tirthas.CM was addressing the concluding ceremony of Saraswati Mahotsav 2026, organised by the Haryana Sarasvati Heritage Development Board (HSHDB) on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami at the Saraswati Tirtha in Pehowa.Earlier, CM Saini inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 26 projects worth Rs 63.86 crore aimed at the revival of the Saraswati River. These include the inauguration of 16 projects costing Rs 27.59 crore and the foundation laying of 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, the CM Saini along with dignitaries offered prayers at the Goddess Saraswati Temple.

Floral tributes were also paid to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Deen Bandhu Sir Chhotu Ram on their respective days.Extending greetings to the people of the state, CM Saini said it was a matter of pride that Kurukshetra district was carved out as a separate district on January 23, 1973, and is now being developed at three times the pace.Describing Saraswati Mahotsav as a festival symbolising the revival of ancient civilisation and culture, CM Saini said it aligns with Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s Rashtriya Gaurav Abhiyan.

He noted that events were also being held on the same day at Saraswati Nagar (Yamunanagar), Pundri and Kisal Tirtha (Kaithal), and Hans Dher Tirtha (Jind). He recalled that as Gujarat CM, PM Modi had made efforts to revive the Saraswati by linking it with the waters of the Narmada and Sabarmati, and said Haryana is following a similar path.He said the state government is working with over 75 premier research institutions, including ISRO, Geological Survey of India, ONGC, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and the Central Ground Water Board, to rejuvenate the Saraswati River.

Scientific studies by these institutions have 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.CM Saini said the government aims to develop all major pilgrimage sites associated with Saraswati as Saraswati Tirthasand is 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 youth.Highlighting infrastructure development, CM Saini said an historic agreement has been signed with Himachal Pradesh, under which a dam on the Som River and the Som Saraswati Barrage are being constructed.

Over the past 10 years, 18 new bridges have been built along the Saraswati river routes, 111 heritage sites on its banks have been restored, and Saraswati Vatika has been established in the Pehowa Saraswati forest.

He also noted that a chapter on the Saraswati River has been included in NCERT textbooks.HSHDB vice chairman Dhuman Singh Kirmach said that although the board’s budget is only Rs 6 crore, nearly Rs 100 crore is being spent on development works related to the Saraswati River due to the CM’s efforts. He said this was the third major Saraswati Mahotsav, with the first held in 2017, and that pilgrimage sites, ponds and ghats are being developed along the riverbanks.The CM also released the souvenir of the HSHDB namely The Saraswati River Gatha on the occasion.