2 days ago
CM orders crowd control plan for Kainchi Dham fair as footfall triples in a year
Nainital: A record 2.5 to 3 lakh devotees are expected to attend 15 foundation day fair at Kainchi Dham on Sunday, prompting CM
Pushkar Singh Dhami
to order immediate and long-term measures for crowd and traffic management at the shrine in Nainital district.
The fair marks the ashram's consecration and has grown into one of the region's largest religious gatherings.
Dhami chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday to discuss a multi-tiered response to the sharp rise in footfall at the pilgrimage site. He directed officials to widen a 3km stretch from the Sanatorium to beyond the Bhowali petrol pump to ease congestion. He also called for a registration system and a visitor cap to be put in place to regulate crowd flow.
Nainital DM Vandana Singh highlighted the need for long-term solutions and proposed a mandatory registration system along with a cap on visitor numbers in the future to ensure a safer and more organised pilgrimage experience. She said, "In earlier years, we saw around 8 lakh visitors annually, but 2024 saw a massive surge with 24 lakh pilgrims. We expect 2.5 to 3 lakh devotees to attend the fair and we need better infrastructure to handle this.
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ADG (crime and law and order) V Murugesan inspected the temple complex, traffic routes, parking areas, and high-density zones. "We will use drones and CCTV for round-the-clock surveillance. A control room and a social media monitoring unit are being set up to manage misinformation," he said.
More than 800 police personnel and three PAC companies will be deployed across zones. Plainclothes officers, volunteers, and bomb disposal squads will assist with security and crowd control.
Officials have planned traffic diversions, shuttle services, and 15 designated parking sites across key routes.
SDM Tushar Saini shared two helpline numbers — 07302532213 and 05942-245543 — for public assistance. Officials urged devotees to use designated parking and follow all instructions to ensure smooth and safe proceedings.
Kainchi Dham was established by Neem Karoli Baba in 1962 and has emerged as a major spiritual centre. The shrine attracts lakhs of devotees annually, including well-known visitors like Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
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