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News18
4 days ago
- Business
- News18
Kedarnath Yatra Generates Rs 200 Crore In A Month Despite 31% Decline In Char Dham Pilgrims
Last Updated: Despite a 31% decline in Char Dham Yatra pilgrims, Kedarnath saw a business boom, generating Rs 200 crore in a month, benefiting hotels, helicopter services, and horse operators Even as concerns mount over a 31 per cent decline in pilgrim footfall across Uttarakhand's Char Dham Yatra this year, the Kedarnath leg of the pilgrimage is witnessing a dramatic upswing in commercial activity, generating business worth an estimated Rs 200 crore in just one month. The Kedarnath Yatra officially began on May 2 with the ceremonial opening of the temple doors to devotees. Since then, over seven lakh pilgrims have braved the treacherous 20-kilometre mountainous trek to reach the revered 11th Jyotirlinga nestled in the Garhwal Himalayas. According to local estimates, the hotel industry has emerged as the biggest beneficiary of the pilgrimage, raking in nearly Rs 100 crore from bookings and stays. Helicopter services, which offer an aerial alternative to the grueling ascent, have brought in Rs 35 crore, ferrying around 33,000 devotees to Kedarnath by air as of May 31. Horse and mule operators, another critical cog in the pilgrimage wheel, have earned Rs 40.5 crore by transporting 1,39,444 pilgrims along the steep path. Further revenue has come from the state-run Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), which has generated over Rs 3.8 crore through bookings of rest houses and the now-famous meditation cave, popularised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in 2019. Meanwhile, the often-overlooked Dandi-Kandi services – manual palanquins used by those unable to make the trek – have witnessed a robust revival. With over 29,000 devotees availing these services, they have contributed Rs 1.16 crore to the local economy. More than 7,000 Dandi-Kandi operators are registered this year, highlighting the strong grassroots employment the Yatra continues to support. Yet, these record-breaking business numbers arrive against a backdrop of diminishing pilgrim presence across the broader Char Dham Yatra. According to a report by the Dehradun-based SDC Foundation, the Char Dham Yatra witnessed a 31% decline in pilgrim footfall during the first two weeks this year compared to the same period in 2024. As reported by PTI on May 15, a total of 6,62,446 pilgrims visited the temples of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri between April 30 and May 13 this year – down from 9,61,302 in the corresponding period last year. Head of the SDC Foundation, Anoop Nautiyal, attributed this steep fall of nearly three lakh pilgrims to military escalations between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack in April. 'The military escalation between India and Pakistan in recent weeks has undoubtedly impacted public sentiment and travel confidence. There has been a slowdown in inter-state pilgrim movement, especially from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and parts of Rajasthan," PTI reported Nautiyal as saying. 'The Char Dham Yatra, being highly dependent on interstate mobility and group travel, has been directly affected," he added. Despite the decline, Nautiyal expressed cautious optimism that the Yatra could regain momentum in the second half of May and early June. 'Last year's data trends showed that the yatra typically peaks during the second fortnight of May and the first fortnight of June. With security conditions expected to stabilise between the two countries, we foresee a surge in footfall in the latter half of the month," he reportedly said. He also urged the Uttarakhand government to act decisively to boost pilgrim confidence. 'We need a similar proactive response in Uttarakhand," he said, citing how the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board had successfully launched awareness campaigns, strengthened on-ground facilities, and reassured pilgrims through targeted messaging. The SDC Foundation has further called for urgent implementation of recommendations made in its 2024 report, 'Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra: Pathways to Pilgrimage – Data, Insights, Challenges and Opportunities'. 'We had called for clear protocols on carrying capacity, crowd regulation, environmental safeguards, and real-time communication. Unfortunately, many of these remain unaddressed," Nautiyal noted. First Published: June 02, 2025, 17:36 IST
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- New Indian Express
Dehradun Diary: Uttarakhand cadre IPS officer quits over family reasons
Armaan Malik looking to settle down in Dehradun? Dehradun is not just another tourist destination. From its verdant fields to the pleasant climate, there's much to love about this city. And none other than YouTuber Armaan Malik has fallen in love with it. He revealed during a recent media interaction that he plans to settle down here with his family for good. 'Whenever I visit this place, I love it. I plan to purchase a house and shift here with my children,' Malik expressed. On the work front, he shared that he has his hands full with multiple projects. When asked to comment on speculation about a third marriage, he simply said, 'People like to talk. Where there is negativity, these things do arise.' U'khand cadre IPS officer quits over family reasons Rachita Juyal, an IPS officer of the 2015 batch in Uttarakhand, has unexpectedly submitted her resignation, citing personal reasons. Her decision to quit has sparked a debate. Reportedly, unforeseen circumstances in her family spurred Juyal to put in her papers. But people are taking this theory with a pinch of salt. Meanwhile, the state government will deliberate on her application, which has been sent to the Chief Secretary's office and the Director General of Police. The IPS officer's departure must be approved from Central authorities, too. More developments on Juyal's unexpected exit are awaited once the dust settles. Kedarnath fraud: 51 sites, 56 bank accounts down The Uttarakhand Police Special Task Force (STF) has shut down around 51 fake websites, blocked as many as 30 WhatsApp & 111 phone numbers and frozen a total of 56 bank accounts used to swindle Kedarnath Yatra pilgrims. Over 37 social media pages have also been taken down. Scammers had reportedly created websites and heavily promoted them on social media to extract money from unsuspecting pilgrims looking for affordable tickets. 'Ensuring the visitors' safety and preventing their exploitation is our priority,' an STF official stated, urging yatris not to fall for rackets being operated by unscrupulous elements. Narendra sethi Our correspondent in Uttarakhand narendrasethi@
India Gazette
11-05-2025
- Health
- India Gazette
Uttarakhand Govt transfers 25 IAS, 12 PCS officers
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], May 11 (ANI): In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the Uttarakhand government transferred 25 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and 12 Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officers. The decision was taken on Saturday by the Uttarakhand government. Meanwhile, the Char Dham Yatra began in Uttarakhand, and over four lakh devotees visited the state during the first nine days of the yatra. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami acknowledged and welcomed the large number of devotees visiting the four Dhams on Saturday and reassured the public of the safety measures ensured by the government. 'Every year, a large number of devotees visit Devbhoomi, Uttarakhand for the Char Dham Yatra,' the chief minister said, adding, 'Our government is continuously working to make the journey smooth, safe and well organised.' The Char Dham Yatra 2025 officially began on April 30 with the opening of the Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham on Akshaya Tritiya amid Vedic chants and rituals. The doors of Kedarnath Dham were opened on May 2, and those of Badrinath on May 4. Earlier on Tuesday, a 24-hour ban was enforced on the usage of horses and mules in the Kedarnath Yatra, an official said on administration took the following reported deaths of some horses and mules here. Yesterday, eight horses and mules died, while today, six of them died. We wanted to ascertain the reason behind it. Tomorrow, a team from the Centre will also come to check the reason for deaths...' said BVRC Purushottam, Secretary, Animal Husbandry (Uttarakhand). Additionally, CM Dhami, on May 3, asserted that the safe travel of the devotees at the Kedarnath Temple is the state government's top priority. The government has provided quick health facilities to the devotees, specialist doctors have been deployed along with the expansion of health services. Rudraprayag district is very sensitive from the disaster point of view, so a separate mobile network has been established in the district. The devotees arriving for the darshan of Baba Kedar in Kedarpuri will now have free Wi-Fi. The devotees have expressed happiness over this and expressed gratitude to the government and the district administration. (ANI)
Mint
10-05-2025
- Mint
Char Dham Yatra: Helicopter service resumes and is running smoothly, says Uttarakhand government
The Uttarakhand government has said it has resumed the helicopter service for Char Dham Yatra and it is running smoothly after it was stopped for certain time due to bad weather. A large number of devotees visiting the four Dhams were welcomed by CM Pushkar Singh Dhami. Over lakh devotees visited the all four sites of Char Dham in past 9 days, CM Dhami said, adding 'Every year a large number of devotees visit Devbhoomi, Uttarakhand for the Char Dham Yatra. Our government is continuously working to make the journey smooth, safe and well organised.' CM Dhami, on May 3, stated that the safe travel of the devotees at the Kedarnath Temple is the state government's main focus. The government has offered quick health facilities to the devotees, specialist doctors have been placed along with the expansion of health services. The Char Dham Yatra started on April 30 with Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham's opening on Akshaya Tritiya amid Vedic chants and rituals. The doors of Kedarnath Dham were opened on May 2, while those of Badrinath on May 4. Earlier on Tuesday, a 24-hour ban was put in effect on the usage of horses and mules in the Kedarnath Yatra, according to an official. 'Yesterday, eight horses and mules died, while today, six of them died. We wanted to ascertain the reason behind it. Tomorrow, a team from the Centre will also come to check the reason for deaths...' BVRC Purushottam, Secretary, Animal Husbandry (Uttarakhand) said. Rudraprayag district is very sensitive when it comes to viewing from the disaster perspective, so a separate mobile network has been set up in the district. The devotees reaching for the darshan of Baba Kedar in Kedarpuri will now receive the facility of free WiFi.
India Gazette
10-05-2025
- Health
- India Gazette
Over 4 lakh devotees in Char Dham in 9 days: Uttarakhand CM Dhami
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], May 10 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday acknowledged and welcomed the large of number of devotees visiting the four Dhams and reassured the public on safety measures ensured by the government. According to CM Dhami, more than 4 lakh devotees visited the all four sites of Char Dham in past 9 days. 'Every year a large number of devotees visit Devbhoomi, Uttarakhand for the Char Dham Yatra,' the chief minister said, adding, 'Our government is continuously working to make the journey smooth, safe and well organised.' The Char Dham Yatra 2025 officially began on April 30 with the opening of the Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham on Akshaya Tritiya amid Vedic chants and rituals. The doors of Kedarnath Dham were opened on May 2, and those of Badrinath on May 4. Earlier on Tuesday, a 24-hour ban was enforced on the usage of horses and mules in the Kedarnath Yatra, an official said on Monday. The administration took the following reported deaths of some horses and mules here. 'Yesterday, eight horses and mules died, while today, six of them died. We wanted to ascertain the reason behind it. Tomorrow, a team from the Centre will also come to check the reason for deaths...' said BVRC Purushottam, Secretary, Animal Husbandry (Uttarakhand). Additionally, CM Dhami, on May 3, asserted that the safe travel of the devotees at the Kedarnath Temple is the state government's top priority. The government has provided quick health facilities to the devotees, specialist doctors have been deployed along with the expansion of health services. Rudraprayag district is very sensitive from the disaster point of view, so a separate mobile network has been established in the district. The devotees arriving for the darshan of Baba Kedar in Kedarpuri will now get the facility of free WiFi. The devotees have expressed happiness over this and expressed gratitude to the government and the district administration. (ANI)
