Uttarakhand

• 18 Sep 2021

Nanda Devi Festival

Why in News

• On September 17, 2021 the 119^th Nanda Devi Festival concluded with the immersion of the idols of Goddess Nanda and Sunanda.

Key Points

• The festival was jointly organized by Shri Ram Sewak Sabha and Nainital District Administration.
• In this festival, a large number of devotees pay obeisance to the deities at Naina Devi Temple. Apart from religious rituals, various cultural performances were also organized during the festival.
• On the last day of the festival a cultural group from Almora performed outside the Naina Devi temple. Other performances including devotional songs were also telecasted live.
• The deities were taken out in a ceremonial procession across the city, after which the idols were immersed in the lake.
• On the last day of the festival, members of the Anjuman-e-Baltistan Shia community offered water to the devotees who came to worship the goddess.

ATM Van of Cooperative Banks

Why in News

• On September 17, 2021, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off mobile ATM vans of cooperative banks at his residence. Apart from providing cash withdrawal facilities in different districts of the state, these vans will also help the tourists visiting the state.

Key Points

• On this occasion, five ATM mobile vans were flagged off from the Chief Minister's residence, while the remaining five were flagged off from District Co-operative Bank Headquarters to their destination.
• Cooperative Minister Dhan Singh Rawat said that mobile ATM van facility of cooperative banks is being made available in every district in collaboration with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
• He said that from these ATM mobiles, any person can withdraw cash from any bank account.
• It is noteworthy that the mobile ATM van had made a significant contribution in helping the people of the state during the pandemic.