Chandigarh: There is a double bonanza of good news for pilgrims travelling to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib, two highly revered holy shrines of north India. Both places will be reached in less than 30 minutes via ropeway once they are operational.
Hemkund Sahib is located at an altitude of 4,632 meters above sea level in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It is believed that Guru Gobind Singh meditated at the site. Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara, situated on the banks of a picturesque glacial lake, can be reached by a trek of about 19 km from the town of Govind Ghat.
Kedarnath is a sacred shrine of Lord Shiva and one of the four Char Dhams. It is situated in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand at an altitude of 3,583 meters above sea level. Surrounded by majestic snow-capped mountains the temple is accessible by a trek of about 16 km from the town of Gaurikund or by helicopter services.
Every year several lakhs of pilgrims take holy pilgrimages to reach these places and offer their prayers despite the difficult terrain conditions. The shrines are completely cut-off in the winter season due to extreme snowfall.
National Highways Logistics Management Limited, a 100% subsidiary of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), had floated tenders for the construction of ropeways to both sites so that tourists can travel to these holy shrines throughout the year with comfort and safety, watching the picturesque mountains through the large glass windows of the state-of-the-art gondola or cable car.
G R Infraprojects (GRIL) has emerged as the lowest bidder for the construction of two ropeway projects in Uttarakhand, namely, Gaurikund to Kedarnath and Govind Ghat to Hemkund Sahib. Both projects will be developed in Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) and will have to be completed within four years from the appointed date. The destination stations will have a food court and utilities for the travellers.
Once operational these ropeways will be great gifts, especially to the elderly and differently-abled who will be able to reach the shrines in minutes without any difficulty in all seasons.
The connectivity will also help the state strategically provide an eco-friendly solution that will boost tourism offering access throughout the year. For the pilgrims, it will be an attraction that offers a comfortable pilgrimage with breathtaking scenic views making the pilgrimage even more memorable and divine.
Kedarnath
• Comprising of three ropeways with 4 stations
• Capacity to carry 3600 passengers in an hour.
• Cable cars can carry 35 passengers at a time.
• One day trek to be cut down to 25 mins
Hemkund Sahib
• Integrated unique single rope & tr-ropes cable car system with 7 stations.
• Capacity to carry 2200 passengers in an hour.
• Cable cars can carry 10-35 passengers at a time.
• Two days trek to be cut down to 30 mins
• Cut short the 24-hour trek to UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves i.e. Indian National Park named ‘Valley of flowers’ to 2 hours only.