Char Dham yatra: Rain, snowfall play spoilsport; stranded pilgrims head back

There were reports of rain and snowfall at Kedarnath on Tuesday morning also. All those who were stranded at Kedarnath or on the 16-km long pedestrian route from Gaurikund to the Kedarnath temple have been escorted back safely to Sonprayag and no registrations are being made for the Kedarnath yatra till the weather gets amiable.

Many pilgrims from other states are stranded at places from Rudraprayag onwards to Guptkashi and Sonprayag while some of them are reported to have returned without visiting the holy shrine.

More than 75 vehicles are reported to be stranded near Narsingh temple at Joshimath as the road is blocked at Lambagar and Benakuli on Badrinath route. The glacier is also reported to have come down on the motor road near Dugdh Ganga. Many pilgrims are coming back from Joshimath as the weather was inclement even on Tuesday morning and there was no definite news when the road would open for the yatra.

CS Napalchayal, commissioner Garhwal, said the yatra to Yamnotri and Gangotri is also being temporarily suspended, keeping in view the safety of the pilgrims because the 5-km long pedestrian track beyond Janki Chatt to Yamnotri could be tricky and the motor road beyond Harshil towards Gangotri in Uttarkashi district could be challenging during rains. District magistrates of Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi have been asked to send a team of officials to survey the routes and till then the Chardham Yatra would remain suspended, said Napalchayal. He added that no bio-metric registration of pilgrims is being done at Rishikesh and onwards till the weather relents and favourable reports come from all the Char Dham routes.

It is mid-May but the intermittent rains in the hills have started testing the preparedness of the government and the patience of the locals. Local residents were waiting for the yatra to resume so that the economy could get a boost.

The inclement weather is being hard on the pilgrims also who had come to Kedarnath and Badrinath from far off places but had to go back without making it to the shrines.

HT

Chardham Yatra

Chardham is a combination of four religious destinations for the Hindus in the Garhwal range of the Majestic Himalayas in the state of Uttaranchal. The Chardham has been the destination of thousands of Hindu pilgrims for Centuries. It is said that the journey to these four holy destinations will not only wash away the sins, that the person has committed in his life, but also will relieve him from the circles of birth and death. The Chardham or the four sacred places include Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The journey usually starts from Yamunotri and proceed forward to Gangotri, Kedarnath, and finally ending at Badrinath.

Yamunotri Yatra:
It is in the 6315 m high Bandarpunchh Peak of the Garhwal Himalayas and has a temple devoted to goddess Yamuna.

There are also the holy thermal springs at Jankichatti which is about 7 km away. For reaching Yamunotri one has to undertake a journey of 220 km from Rishikesh to Hanumanchatti. From Hanumanchatti one has to undertake another 13 km journey on foot.

The temple remains closed in winters and so the best time to visit the temple is between May to October. The nearest railhead is at Rishikesh and the nearest airport is at Jollygrant. There are Dharmasalas and rest houses at Yamunotri, to meet the accommodation needs of the tourists.

Gangotri Yatra:
It is situated at an altitude of about 3200 m and is one of the four destinations under the Chardham. There is an18th Century temple constructed by Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa at the place where Ganga is said to have first descended on earth from heaven. Places of religious interest at Gangotri include Gomukh Glaciers which is the source of Bhagirathi.

Pilgrims can also trek to Nandanvan which is 6 km from Gangotri and Kedartal which is about 18 km from Gangotri. This temple is closed during winters and so the best time to visit the temple is between May and October. The nearest airport is at Jolly Grant which is 17 km from Rishikesh and 265 km from Gangotri. The nearest railhead is at Rishikesh which is about 248 km away. There are tourist rest houses for the pilgrims to take rest.

Kedarnath Yatra:
The Kedarnath Shrine is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and is situated at an altitude of about 3581m. The temple was built in the 8th Century AD by Adi Shankaracharya. The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is more than 1000 years old and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Kedarnath is accessible by roads, rail and air. The nearest airport is at Jolly Grant which is 239 km away. Rishikesh Railway Station which is 221 km from Kedarnath is the nearest station. Besides, Kedarnath is well connected by roads from Gaurikund and Ukhimath from where one can come to Kedarnath on Horseback, Dandies and Ponies. There are rest houses for the tourist to meet their lodging needs.

Badrinath Yatra:
Badrinath is guarded on either side by two mountains – Nar and Narayan and has the famous Badrinath temple which houses the abode of Lord Vishnu. There is a “Tapt Kund", a bath in which is very refreshing to all travelers facing the temple at the bank of the Alokananda river. The temple remains closed during the winters. There are Dharmasalas and rest houses to meet the accommodation needs of the tourists. The nearest airport is at Jolly Grant, which is 314 km from Badrinath. Haridwar is connected by rail service from Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and Lucknow. The nearest railhead is at Haridwar, which is about 297 km from the temple.

Choppers make pilgrimage a real walk in the clouds

The arduous char dham yatra can now be undertaken via air, with a number of charter services offering helicopter rides to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath

There is good news in store for ardent pilgrims who have hitherto hesitated from undertaking the arduous the treks involved in the char dham yatra. A number of charter companies have introduced chopper services that will fly pilgrims into the lap of majestic Himalayas, enabling them to complete the char dham yatra in a completely stress-free manner.


Easy way out: Choppers of private companies charge anywhere between Rs 4 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh for the entire group for the char dhamyatra.

The char dham yatra involves gruelling treks on steep and uneven terrain, and usually takes 12 to 14 days by road. The duration is further lengthened during inclement weather conditions or owing to natural calamities like landslides. This lengthy ordeal can now be curtailed to a mere two days.

"We are getting a great response from pilgrims. Due to precipitous curves and frequent landslides on this stretch, pilgrims face great difficulty in reaching the most revered pilgrimage sites. Many a time they find it difficult to even complete their yatra owing to these obstacles. But due to the introduction of these chopper services, this yatra can be safely conducted in two days. The choppers fly to a maximum height of 1,200 square feet," said Rohit Mathur, CEO of Heritage aviation, a charter company which is offering these services.

"Along with the pilot and co-pilot, we accommodate four to five people on board the aircraft. We charge anything from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh for the entire group for the char dham yatra. The comparative rates by road come to the same amount. In fact, pilgrims often have to extend their stay in hotels due to adverse weather, which ends up adding to their expenses. These factors make the chopper route a safer, and the most cost effective option," added Mathur.

Most of the charter companies operating on this sector use single engine models like Bell 407 and Eurocopter 350 B3, which are best suited for high-altitude flying. The helicopter services can be accessed from Dehradun and Guptkashi.

Expertspeak
Colonel Pradeep Srivastava (Retd), a chopper pilot for Trans Bharat Aviation Company said, "I have been flying on this sector for the last three to four years. Though there is a crisis of choppers in this sector, aviation is growing at the rate of twelve to thirteen per cent every year. Most of the takers are in the 50 plus age group, and the journey by road becomes too arduous for them."

The Four abodes
Char dham is the phrase used to refer to the most widely revered four pilgrimage spots in India. Situated in the state of Uttarakhand, these are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath, and can easily be regarded as the epicentre of religious activity in North India. Traditionally, the char dham yatra is taken from the west to the east, starting from Yamunotri, proceeding to Gangotri, and finally reaching Kedarnath, the penultimate stop being Badrinath.

Flights of piety
The renowned Vaishno Devi yatra can also be undertaken by air, the charges for helicopter services on this route being Rs 2,800 per person.

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Char Dham for safety of pilgrims

Sensing trouble owing to a series of low-intensity earthquakes that struck the Uttarakhand hills recently the State government has directed officials to initiate all necessary measures required for the safety of pilgrims before the famed Char Dham Yatra (pilgrimage) commences on May 16.

Incidentally, the Char Dhams fall in the geologically volatile high altitude region of the Uttarakhand Himalayas. This whole region has been categorised as "Zone V" owing to its susceptibility to seismic events. "Char Dhams" or four fabled religious destinations of Hindus are namely Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamnotri.

Besides, the entire "Char Dhams" circuit owing to its mountainous terrain is also highly prone to road accidents.

"In view of these factors we have directed the officials to initiate all necessary measures required for the safety of thousands of pilgrims who will be visiting the hallowed Char Dhams in the next six months," said Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Disaster Management Khajan Das.

He informed that besides the ex-gratia fund meant for victims of road accidents and natural disasters the Department of Disaster Management has already released to the districts, it (Department of Disaster Management) has also been directed to immediately release an extra fund of Rs 1 crore to the District Magistrates.

"Besides, in view of a series of low-intensity earthquakes that struck the region recently the Department of Disaster Management and district authorities have also been put on alert to deal with any such event if it occurs during the Yatra period," he said.

Saying that in that connection rescue and relief centres are active in eight districts he said the officials concerned "have been directed to expedite the process of setting up similar centres in other five districts as well, so that immediate relief could be provided to affected people in case earthquakes or such disasters strike the Char Dham circuits in the coming months.

"Besides, equipment required to carry out rescue and relief operations have also been made available at the Tehsil level as well," Das said.

HT