AFTER FAVOURABLE HC VERDIT, UTTARKHAND GOVERNMENT OPENS CHARDHAM YATRA.
Source : THE ECONOMIC TIMES
Date : 20th September, 2021
Date : 20th September, 2021
Taking into account the improved Covid-19 scenario in Uttarakhand, the High Court has removed the stay imposed on Chardham Yatra in June this year with capping on the number of devotees. This comes as a big relief for the state government as well as the travel and hospitality industry .
The Uttarakhand government has moved quickly and notified the resumption of the Chardham Yatra in the state from today after the High Court bench headed by the Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan removed the stay on the annual yatra in June this year on the basis of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The High Court considering all aspects and the current health situation in the state has lifted the stay imposed thereby paving the way for the annual Chardham Yatra to begin with restrictions on the number of daily devotees to be allowed to each of the four pilgrim centres.
What is the cap amount?
According to the order of the court, there is a cap on the daily number of devotees with 800 in Kedarnath Dham, 1000 in Badrinath Dham, 600 in Gangotri and 400 in Yamunotri Dham. The court has asked the police force to be deployed as per the requirement during the Chardham Yatra in Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts. Along with this, devotees will not be allowed to take bath in any of the pools during the journey.
What will devotees need?
It will also be mandatory for the pilgrims travelling to Chardham to show a negative Covid test report of up to 72 hours before or certificate of dual vaccination. Along with this, it will also be mandatory to get the registration done in the Devasthanam Board. The state Chief Secretary, Dr SS Sandhu, has instructed all concerned departments to complete preparations for the yatra.
What is the cap amount?
According to the order of the court, there is a cap on the daily number of devotees with 800 in Kedarnath Dham, 1000 in Badrinath Dham, 600 in Gangotri and 400 in Yamunotri Dham. The court has asked the police force to be deployed as per the requirement during the Chardham Yatra in Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts. Along with this, devotees will not be allowed to take bath in any of the pools during the journey.
What will devotees need?
It will also be mandatory for the pilgrims travelling to Chardham to show a negative Covid test report of up to 72 hours before or certificate of dual vaccination. Along with this, it will also be mandatory to get the registration done in the Devasthanam Board. The state Chief Secretary, Dr SS Sandhu, has instructed all concerned departments to complete preparations for the yatra.
Trade hopes to salvage something out of the season
Dilip Jawalkar, Secretary Tourism, Uttarakhand expressed the hope that the life and livelihood of the residents of Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts, including thousands of travel businessmen and pilgrimage priests, will be able to get back on track. Although just over a month is left for the yatra season to end, the trade and industry is hopeful that they will be able to salvage something out of the season now.
“The pilgrims have already started arriving in Haridwar for the Yatra,” said Ashutosh Sharma, a hotelier in Haridwar who is also the president of the Hotel & Restaurant Association of the city of Hardwar. “It makes a lot of difference for the whole state. A lot of sentiments are attached to the Yatra. It’s not just the destinations associated with the Yatra which benefits, the whole state benefits from the positive sentiment,” said Sharma. He said that even enquiries have started coming in for hotels in Haridwar from different states.
The hospitality industry in the state is seeing it as a victory of the industry and the government working together. “The Chief Minister himself has taken personal interest in the case,” said a senior industry person.
“We hope that the Yatra will pick up full steam from Monday,” said Praveen Sharma of Hotel & Restaurant Association of Northern India (HRANI). The opening of the Chardham will have a positive impact on other destinations as well. “When people come, they visit a lot of places around it as well,” he said.
“The pilgrims have already started arriving in Haridwar for the Yatra,” said Ashutosh Sharma, a hotelier in Haridwar who is also the president of the Hotel & Restaurant Association of the city of Hardwar. “It makes a lot of difference for the whole state. A lot of sentiments are attached to the Yatra. It’s not just the destinations associated with the Yatra which benefits, the whole state benefits from the positive sentiment,” said Sharma. He said that even enquiries have started coming in for hotels in Haridwar from different states.
The hospitality industry in the state is seeing it as a victory of the industry and the government working together. “The Chief Minister himself has taken personal interest in the case,” said a senior industry person.
“We hope that the Yatra will pick up full steam from Monday,” said Praveen Sharma of Hotel & Restaurant Association of Northern India (HRANI). The opening of the Chardham will have a positive impact on other destinations as well. “When people come, they visit a lot of places around it as well,” he said.
