Kumar Bahukhandi
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai performs Rudrabhishek and offers prayers to Lord Shiva at the ancient Baba Karmeshwar Dham in Karra village of Balrampur-Ramanujganj district on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.-Photo Credit:channel24india.com via CMO
Chief Minister prays for Chhattisgarh’s prosperity; says Shakti Peethas are being linked through a religious corridor
Key Highlights
- Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai performs Rudrabhishek and offers prayers at the ancient Baba Karmeshwar Dham in Karra village.
- Sai announces construction of a Mangal Bhavan in Karra.
- CM says major Shakti Peethas of Chhattisgarh are being connected through a religious corridor.
- Nearly 50,000 devotees have visited Ayodhya under the Shri Ramlala Darshan Yojana.
- Around 10,000 pilgrims have benefited from the Tirth Darshan Yojana covering 19 major pilgrimage destinations.
- Sai plants a Rudraksha sapling in the name of his mother, Jashmani Devi Sai, under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 3.0 campaign.
- Tourism and Culture Minister Rajesh Agrawal plants a Bel sapling at the temple complex.
Raipur: Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday, August 26, participated in the Shri Maharudra Yagya and Shiv Puran Katha at Karra village in Rajpur block of Balrampur-Ramanujganj district, performing Rudrabhishek at the ancient Baba Karmeshwar Dham and praying for the happiness, prosperity and progress of the people of Chhattisgarh.
Sai performed the rituals and offered prayers to Lord Shiva before addressing devotees gathered for the religious programme. He also announced the construction of a Mangal Bhavan in Karra, assuring residents that development works in the area would continue to receive priority.
“May the blessings of Baba Karmeshwar remain upon the entire Chhattisgarh and may every family be blessed with happiness, peace and prosperity. The government will continue to give priority to the development needs of Karra and the surrounding region,” Chief Minister Sai said.
He paid his respects to storyteller Acharya Divyanand Ji Maharaj and congratulated the organising committee and devotees, describing the Maharudra Yagya and Shiv Puran Katha on the sacred land of Karra as an auspicious occasion.
Sai said Chhattisgarh possessed a rich spiritual inheritance encompassing ancient Shiva temples, Shakti Peethas and centres of folk faith spread across the state. Referring to the state’s association with Lord Ram and Mata Kaushalya, he said the government was working to preserve this heritage while making important religious destinations more accessible to pilgrims.
“Our major Shakti Peethas are being connected in the form of a religious corridor. This will provide better facilities to devotees, strengthen religious tourism and create new opportunities for local employment and livelihoods,” Sai said.
Religious tourism, pilgrimage schemes and Bastar development
The Chief Minister said the Shri Ramlala Darshan Yojana had enabled nearly 50,000 devotees from Chhattisgarh to visit Ayodhya and have darshan of Ramlala.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai performs aarti during the Shri Maharudra Yagya and Shiv Puran Katha at Baba Karmeshwar Dham in Karra village, Balrampur-Ramanujganj district, on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, as Tourism and Culture Minister Rajesh Agrawal (L) and other devotees join the prayers-Photo Credit :channel24india.com via CMO
The government was also facilitating pilgrimages for senior citizens through the Tirth Darshan Yojana, under which 19 major pilgrimage destinations across the country have been identified. According to Sai, approximately 10,000 devotees have so far benefited from the scheme.
He also referred to developments in Bastar, saying significant progress had been achieved in the campaign against Naxalism under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Areas that remained affected by violence for decades are now entering an era of peace and development. Roads, education, healthcare, electricity, communication and other basic facilities are being expanded rapidly, and our resolve is to ensure that development reaches every family at the last mile,” Sai said.
Tourism and Culture Minister Rajesh Agrawal, who accompanied the Chief Minister, underlined the importance of protecting the state’s religious and cultural traditions while creating better facilities around pilgrimage destinations.
“Chhattisgarh has an extraordinary spiritual and cultural heritage. Our effort is to preserve these centres of faith, improve facilities for devotees and develop religious tourism in a manner that also generates opportunities for local communities,” Agrawal said.
Baba Karmeshwar Dham at Karra is regarded locally as an ancient centre of faith. According to local tradition, the Shiva Lingam is believed to have manifested naturally centuries ago, with oral accounts linking its origin to a Sal tree around the ninth or tenth century. The Shri Karmeshwar Mahadev Mandir renovation committee is presently undertaking restoration work at the temple.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai waters a Rudraksha sapling planted in the name of his mother, Jashmani Devi Sai, under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 3.0 campaign at Baba Karmeshwar Dham in Karra village on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Tourism and Culture Minister Rajesh Agrawal and others are also seen-Photo Credit:channel24india.com via CMO
The shrine is also associated with generations-old local beliefs concerning rainfall. According to local folklore, villagers traditionally performed special worship of Lord Shiva during periods of inadequate rainfall. Such traditions have contributed to Baba Karmeshwar Dham’s enduring place in the religious and cultural life of the region.
During his visit, Sai planted a Rudraksha sapling in the name of his mother, Jashmani Devi Sai, on the temple premises under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 3.0 campaign.
Calling for greater public participation in environmental conservation, the Chief Minister urged people to plant and nurture more trees.
Tourism and Culture Minister Rajesh Agrawal planted a Bel sapling, while other public representatives and officials also participated in the plantation drive.
Pathalgaon MLA Gomti Sai, IG Deepak Jha, Surguja Divisional Commissioner Narendra Dugga, Collector Chandan Sanjay Tripathi, Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Banker, public representatives, officials and a large number of devotees were present.
