Kedarnath Yatra earned Rs 306 crore in 48 days

Kedarnath: The Char Dham Yatra, which is economically important for Uttarakhand, has seen an unprecedented surge this year, with over 33 lakh pilgrims visiting the holy sites. The Kedarnath Yatra alone has generated a revenue of Rs 306 crore in just 48 days, officials said. According to Yogendra Gangwar, joint director of the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, over 11.64 lakh devotees have made the arduous journey to the Himalayan shrine since the doors of the Kedarnath shrine opened on May 2. “On an average, 24,000 pilgrims visit the Himalayan shrine every day,” he was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express (TNIE). Known for its challenging 20-km climb, the pilgrimage sees heavy use of animals and helicopters to assist devotees. “Horses and mules play a very important role in this difficult pilgrimage on foot. Till Wednesday, 228,665 pilgrims reached Kedarnath Dham on horses and mules, generating revenue of about Rs 67.5 crore,” TNIE quoted Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Ashish Rawat as saying. Meanwhile, Rahul Chaubey, nodal officer of Kedarnath Heli Services, said helicopter services transported 49,294 pilgrims, generating revenue of Rs 61 crore. Palanquin and porter services (dandi-kandi) are available for elderly pilgrims, with over 7,000 operators registered this year. These services have already generated revenue of Rs 2.02 crore, while fines of Rs 4.17 lakh have been imposed for littering and violation of rules.