DEHRADUN: The Chardham Yatra, the backbone of Uttarakhand’s economy, has seen a festive surge in footfall, with pilgrim numbers crossing 33 lakh.The Kedarnath Yatra alone has generated Rs 306 crore revenue in just 48 days.Yogendra Gangwar, Joint Director of the Tourism Division at the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council, told TNIE, “Since the opening of Baba Kedarnath Dham’s portals for pilgrims on May 2, until Thursday evening, the number of devotees who have visited Baba Kedar has exceeded 11.64 lakh.””If we calculate the average for the past month, approximately 24,000 pilgrims are arriving daily for darshan at Kedarnath Dham,” he added.Dr. Ashish Rawat, Chief Veterinary Officer, told TNIE, “The Kedarnath Dham Yatra is one of the most arduous religious pilgrimages in the country. After traversing a challenging 20-kilometer trek, pilgrims finally get to behold the 11th Jyotirlinga nestled in the lap of the Himalayas.”“Horses and mules play an extremely crucial role in this difficult pedestrian pilgrimage. As of Wednesday, 228,665 pilgrims reached Kedarnath Dham via horses and mules, generating an income of approximately Rs 67.5 crore,” he added.Rahul Chaubey, Nodal Officer for Kedarnath Heli Service, which operates as a lifeline for elderly pilgrims, stated, “This year, eight companies are operating heli-services from nine helipads. By Thursday, 49,294 pilgrims had reached Kedarnath by helicopter, generating an income of ₹61 crore from helicopter fares.”For the convenience of elderly pilgrims on the Kedarnath trekking route, dandi-kandi (palanquin/porter services) are operated. Over 7,000 dandi-kandi operators are registered for this year’s pilgrimage.
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