The Hindu : Other States / Uttaranchal News : Uttaranchal gears up for rush of pilgrims

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Thursday, May 12, 2005

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Uttaranchal gears up for rush of pilgrims

Staff Correspondent

Gangotri, Yamunotri shrines reopen; Kedarnath opens today

DEHRA DUN: The `Char Dham Yatra' began with the reopening of the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines on Wednesday. The Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines will reopen on Thursday and Friday respectively.

The nearly six month-long yatra season attracts lakhs of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. Besides the shrines located on the majestic heights, the yatra provides an insight into the natural splendour of the Uttaranchal Himalayas. A very large number of pilgrims from Punjab also throng the Hemkunt Sahib Gurudwara. It will be more than festival time in the hills and at Hardwar and Rishikesh from where most of the pilgrims board buses or taxis to the higher hills over the next several months.

The yatra has however become notorious since the birth of Uttaranchal with nearly a thousand pilgrims losing their lives every season due to road mishaps. These mishaps are mostly due to the sudden increase in pilgrim traffic, poor policing and lack of respect for hill driving ethics by the drivers. "The Uttaranchal Government has made special arrangements to make the yatra comfortable and safe this season and the visitors will be pleased to meet tourist friendly officials and policemen," said the Additional Chief Secretary, M. Ramachandran. A large number of wireless sets and satellite phones have been provided to the police and forest department as well as other concerned officials for careful monitoring of smooth conduct of the yatra.

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Uttaranchal gears up for rush of pilgrims