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Uttarakhand to set crowd management system at Kainchi Dham

Uttarakhand to set crowd management system at Kainchi Dham

Hans India4 days ago
Nainital: In a significant move to improve the management of surging crowds at the revered Kainchi Dham of Baba Neem Karoli, the Uttarakhand administration is working on a comprehensive crowd control system, complete with a fixed visitor capacity and online registration facilities.
Every year, lakhs of devotees flock to the Dham, leading to overcrowding not only within the temple complex but also in the surrounding areas. Responding to this growing challenge, the government has initiated a carrying capacity survey to assess the actual visitor limit of the site and its adjoining zones.
The six-month-long survey will involve a meticulous analysis of the temple premises, available tourist facilities, traffic movement, accommodation options, and infrastructural readiness.
Tourism Secretary Dhiraj Garbyal stated that the survey would also determine how many pilgrims visit solely for Kainchi Dham and how many extend their journey to other prominent destinations like Almora, Pithoragarh, and Bageshwar.
As part of the initiative, real-time monitoring systems have been deployed, with CCTV installed along key routes and within the temple area. These will help officials track the movement of both pilgrims and vehicles, aiding swift response and better control during peak periods.
In addition, data is being compiled from local guest houses, homestays, and parking facilities to measure the pressure on available infrastructure. The ultimate goal is to build a sustainable system that ensures safety, comfort, and spiritual serenity for visitors.
The Tourism Secretary revealed that an online registration system, similar to that used for the Chardham Yatra, is under consideration. This would allow devotees to book darshan slots in advance, helping the administration to regulate the influx and provide a more streamlined experience.
'This will not only enhance devotees' experience but also allow quicker action in emergencies,' Garbyal added.
Post-monsoon, the administration will also kick off an expansion of tourist amenities, including road upgrades, expanded parking, increased lodging capacity, and improved sanitation. Authorities believe that with proper assessment and structured planning, Kainchi Dham can offer a more peaceful and organised pilgrimage experience.
'Our team has already started this. It will take around six months. For counting, we have also installed CCTVs,' Garbyal said.
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Uttarakhand to set crowd management system at Kainchi Dham
Uttarakhand to set crowd management system at Kainchi Dham

Hans India

time4 days ago

  • Hans India

Uttarakhand to set crowd management system at Kainchi Dham

Nainital: In a significant move to improve the management of surging crowds at the revered Kainchi Dham of Baba Neem Karoli, the Uttarakhand administration is working on a comprehensive crowd control system, complete with a fixed visitor capacity and online registration facilities. Every year, lakhs of devotees flock to the Dham, leading to overcrowding not only within the temple complex but also in the surrounding areas. Responding to this growing challenge, the government has initiated a carrying capacity survey to assess the actual visitor limit of the site and its adjoining zones. The six-month-long survey will involve a meticulous analysis of the temple premises, available tourist facilities, traffic movement, accommodation options, and infrastructural readiness. Tourism Secretary Dhiraj Garbyal stated that the survey would also determine how many pilgrims visit solely for Kainchi Dham and how many extend their journey to other prominent destinations like Almora, Pithoragarh, and Bageshwar. As part of the initiative, real-time monitoring systems have been deployed, with CCTV installed along key routes and within the temple area. These will help officials track the movement of both pilgrims and vehicles, aiding swift response and better control during peak periods. In addition, data is being compiled from local guest houses, homestays, and parking facilities to measure the pressure on available infrastructure. The ultimate goal is to build a sustainable system that ensures safety, comfort, and spiritual serenity for visitors. The Tourism Secretary revealed that an online registration system, similar to that used for the Chardham Yatra, is under consideration. This would allow devotees to book darshan slots in advance, helping the administration to regulate the influx and provide a more streamlined experience. 'This will not only enhance devotees' experience but also allow quicker action in emergencies,' Garbyal added. Post-monsoon, the administration will also kick off an expansion of tourist amenities, including road upgrades, expanded parking, increased lodging capacity, and improved sanitation. Authorities believe that with proper assessment and structured planning, Kainchi Dham can offer a more peaceful and organised pilgrimage experience. 'Our team has already started this. It will take around six months. For counting, we have also installed CCTVs,' Garbyal said.

Tripping up
Tripping up

Time of India

time6 days ago

  • Time of India

Tripping up

When travel enthusiasts forget to read the newspaper Kamala is a travel enthusiast. She constantly wants to be going somewhere. I'm very happy pottering around the house. Rab ne bana di jodi as Mark Twain once said. People believe anything that Mark Twain has supposedly said. Anyway, coming back to my travails, Kamala wanted to climb a mountain or plumb the depths of the Mariana Trench. 'Let's do Char Dham Yatra!' she said cheerfully. I'm a paunchy ageing Indian man – one Dham would be a challenge. She countered my objections with offers of helicopters, ponies, prayers. We would certainly need prayers, but more during the journey. Given the crashing helicopters, roads being washed away by flash floods, environmental disasters unfolding out of unplanned tunnels and mountains of garbage. The green of nature, which tourists look forward to, has been replaced by the same tourists with green plastic bottles. And chips packets still filled with the addictive promise of health hazards. Still, wife was hell-bent on a holiday. Kashmir felt a bit dicey at the moment. Especially for husbands. So did Mizoram. Manipur was not being discussed – by anyone. Several countries were at war with each other and it was still confusing whose side we were taking. Russia was an option but if we put in an application to go there, would we be adding fuel to the fire? China was out of the question, except if we wanted to buy cheap lights for Diwali or plastic flags for Independence Day. Maldives was our friend again but the trolls had not approved a holiday or a hug there for the Common Man. Ireland was discriminating against browner people – a tradition that we find fair and lovely here too. Cambodia. Malaysia. Egypt. Afghanistan, Iran, Ukraine. Her list was endless and disassociated from geopolitics. You must read the newspaper more often Kamala, I suggested. Instead of only listening to what the nation demands to know. As she scrolled for new potential holiday spots and drooled over bungee jumping and snorkeling, Kamala complained that I had no sense of adventure. I object. I get excitement driving on the roads with unpredictable potholes and puddles after the incessant rains. Or walking down a footpath with open manholes and uneven pavement stones. I'm tripping – both literally and figuratively. I don't need to travel to get my adventure or adrenaline rush. My taxes pay for them. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.

Spiritual retreat turns sour: Family wins Rs 1 lakh payout over travel nightmare
Spiritual retreat turns sour: Family wins Rs 1 lakh payout over travel nightmare

Time of India

time7 days ago

  • Time of India

Spiritual retreat turns sour: Family wins Rs 1 lakh payout over travel nightmare

Hyderabad: What was intended to be a spiritual retreat turned into a travel nightmare for a Hyderabad family after a tour operator failed to deliver on its promises. Following a series of service failures and last-minute changes, the district consumer commission in Ranga Reddy ordered a Delhi-based travel agency to pay 1.04 lakh in compensation for mental agony, out-of-pocket expenses, and litigation costs. The complainant, Aakula Venu Gopal, had booked a 10-night Char Dham Yatra tour package with the travel agency in April 2024, paying 90,000 in advance. However, just days before the journey, the agency abruptly cancelled the trip, citing a lack of hotel availability, and pressured him into accepting a Kashmir package instead. With no other viable option and fearing a substantial financial loss, Gopal reluctantly agreed. The ordeal worsened when Gopal, along with his elderly mother and young daughter, arrived in Delhi and travelled overnight to Katra. The hotel listed in their itinerary had no booking under their name. Stranded at 2am without mobile connectivity in Jammu & Kashmir, the family eventually managed to find alternative accommodation by 6am, well outside the promised package plan. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad Throughout the trip, the family encountered repeated instances of unbooked hotels, uncooperative agents, demands for additional money from the driver, and a lack of basic amenities, including meals, despite the package claiming to provide a MAP (Modified American Plan) arrangement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ranked: The 25 Best Cities To Live In The World Learn More Undo Due to delays and poor coordination, Gopal's mother and daughter were unable to undertake the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, despite having travelled all that way for it. Later in Srinagar, a promised houseboat stay was once again cancelled without prior notice, forcing the family to arrange accommodation at their own expense. Upon returning, Gopal approached the commission seeking a refund of 44,219 spent on food, alternative hotel bookings, and transport, along with 1 lakh as compensation. In its final order, the commission concluded that the agency had engaged in unfair trade practices. "Throughout the tour, the family faced considerable distress due to the negligent and unprofessional service of the agency. We are of the considered opinion that the agency committed a deficiency in service and caused great hardship during what was meant to be a leisure trip," the commission said. The commission directed the company to pay 44,219 towards incurred expenses, 50,000 for mental agony, and 10,000 as litigation costs within 45 days. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.

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