Shimla, July 22 (PTI) An amount of around Rs 550 crore has been sanctioned so far for the conservation and development of cultural heritage, religious sites, ancient temples and historical monuments in Himachal Pradesh, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said on Tuesday.

Out of this, nearly Rs 50 crore has been approved for the restoration of ancient temples, forts and archaeological sites, while Rs 37 crore has been provided for various developmental works in state-acquired temples, Agnihotri said in a statement.

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Agnihotri said the government is making continuous efforts to preserve the rich traditions and heritage of the state while also ensuring better facilities for devotees at various pilgrimage sites.

For the convenience of devotees, a ‘SUGAM Darshan' system was introduced at the Chintpurni Temple in August 2023, which has helped in crowd management besides providing special facilities to the elderly and differently-abled persons, the statement said.

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Additionally, digital services like online ‘langar' booking and online ‘darshan' have also been made available. Similar digital arrangements are being implemented at other temple trusts of the state as well, Agnihotri said in the statement.

Under the ‘PRASAD' scheme, Rs 56.26 crore has been sanctioned for the Chintpurni Temple to promote religious tourism and spiritual heritage. A grand complex worth Rs 250 crore is also being constructed at the temple.

The government has also approved Rs 100 crore each for the development of Jwalaji and Naina Devi temples, he said.

To ensure purity in religious rituals and chanting of mantras, special training programmes have been introduced for temple priests.

Recently, 25 priests from Chintpurni and Naina Devi temples received online training at the Sanskrit department of Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

Priests from other temple trusts will be trained in a phased manner in the coming days, Agnihotri said.

Rs 1 crore is being provided annually to different religious institutions for regular worship rituals and infrastructure development under the recurring fund scheme, the statement said.

The state government is also making efforts to promote the rich cultural heritage of the state at national and international levels, Agnihotri said.

The government is organising cultural festivals through digital platforms, documenting traditional practices besides organising exhibitions to showcase folk arts, traditional music, handicrafts and other customs of Himachal Pradesh, he added.

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