CHENNAI: Many organisations have, for a long time, demanded that devotees from the Hindu community be given government grants to undertake pilgrimages to holy places. Devotees from the Muslim community have been getting this assistance for some time now.On December 25, 2011, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa fulfilled yet another promise made during the campaign for the 2011 Assembly elections when she announced that 500 persons from the Christian community would be given financial assistance to undertake a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.On May 15, 2012 during the Assembly Budget session, the CM fulfilled yet another election promise by announcing that devotees from the Hindu community would be given grants to undertake pilgrimages to Manasarovar in China and Mukthinath in Nepal.Of the `1 lakh needed to visit Manasarovar, the State government would provide `40,000 per devotee. Similarly, of the `25,000 required to visit Mukthinath, `10,000 would be given. The assistance would be given to 250 devotees visiting Manasarovar and 250 devotees visiting Mukthinath. The applicants would be selected by the External Affairs Ministry.Jayalalithaa has said that though many Hindus wish to visit Manasarovar and Mukthinath at least once in their lifetime, it has been unaffordable for many due to their economic condition.
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