Gotra tourism: Uttarakhand govt rolls out package for tourists to trace their lineage

The 'gotra tourism' plan was announced a few days ago by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. The responsibility to roll out the packages for the tourists has been given to tourism minister Satpal Maharaj. 

If you are interested to know your gotra, Uttarakhand government has a package to offer. (File Photo: PTI)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Plan for the package was announced by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat
• The state government will also develop logos for each of the gotras
• A campaign to digitalise the state's tourism department will also be launched

Are you interested to know your gotra (clan)? The Uttarakhand government is set to offer packages called 'gotra tourism' to the tourists to encourage them to travel to the state and trace their lineage.

The 'gotra tourism' plan was announced a few days ago by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. The responsibility to roll out the packages for the tourists has been given to tourism minister Satpal Maharaj.

According to the Hindu beliefs, sages Kashyap, Atri, Vasishtha, Vishvkarma, Gautam, Jamadagni and Bharadwaj were behind the origin of the universe. CM Rawat said that the 'gotra tourism' packages also include visit to the places that are associated with these sages.

Besides, the state government will also develop logos for each of the gotras, so that people get to understand and identify with their gotras in a better way. A campaign to digitalise the state's tourism department will also be launched. This record is kept by the priests known as 'teerth purohit'.

Some of these priests are based in the four dhams Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. Nearly 2500 priests live in Haridwar. These teerth purohits have been keeping a record of lakhs of families for hundreds of years.

Dilip Javalkar, secretary tourism minister, said, "We want to keep the record of family ancestries online. So that people get to understand their history in a better manner." He further said that the 'gotra tourism' would encourage people to visit Uttarakhand and get their gotras updated.