Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], November 21 : Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, upon arriving in Somnath to participate in the 11th Chintan Shibir of the state government, worshipped the first Jyotirling, Shri Somnath Mahadev, performed Someshwar Puja, and conducted the Gangajal Abhishek, the government said in a release on Thursday.
At Somnath Temple, Trustee of the Somnath Trust J.D. Parmar and Secretary Yogendra Desai warmly welcomed the Chief Minister with a bouquet. Forest and Tourism Minister Mulubhai Bera joined the Chief Minister in performing the Someshwar Puja.
CM prayed for the well-being of all the citizens of the state. The Chief Minister launched an informative documentary for devotees, set to be aired at the Somnath Trust Information Center.
Notably, the three-day Chintan Shibir of the state government started on November 21 at Somnath on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the series of Chintan Shibirs in 2003 during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat, aiming to transform administrative practices and work culture.
Continuing this tradition, the 11th Chintan Shibir is being held with the active participation of CM Patel, state ministers, senior secretaries, department heads, district collectors, and district development officers, it said.
The 11th Chintan Shibir features group discussions and brainstorming sessions on key topics, including employment opportunities in the state, income growth in rural areas, the saturation approach in government schemes, and the role of districts and local self-government institutions in tourism development, the release added.
Three-day Shibir began with group yoga sessions. Additionally, expert speeches on relevant topics, such as the use of Deep tech to enhance services, artificial intelligence, and data analysis, will be delivered.
At the conclusion of the event, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will present awards to the Best District Collector and Best DDO, it added.