Dehradun: Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) MD Bansidhar Tiwari on Friday said that the Himalayan state made a great business of around 211 crores from the Kedarnath and Yamunotri Yatra this year.
While speaking to ANI about the bumper earnings from horses, mules and helicopter services during Kedarnath Yatra, the GMVN MD Tiwari said, "In Uttarakhand, this time around 211 crores business has been done in Kedarnath and Yamunotri Yatra only by horse-mules, helicopter tickets and travel fare of Dandi-Kandi."
For the first time, horse-mule owners in Kedarnath Dham did a record business of about Rs 1 billion 9 crores 28 lakh rupees. Due to this the government also got more than Rs 8 crore as revenue.
The administration of Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag districts had registered 8,664 mules of 4,302 horse owners.
In this season, 5.34 lakh pilgrims travelled to Kedarnath Dham on horses.
Bansidhar Tiwari told that Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam has benefited well from helicopter tickets. The helicopter companies have made Rs 85 crores in business and horse mules have done business above Rs 100 crores. He said that Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam's business has been around Rs 21 crore 75 lakhs in Yamunotri and Char Dham Yatra.
The portals of the Kedarnath Dham were closed on Thursday morning for the Winter season.
The doors of the eleventh Jyotirlinga Lord Kedarnath were shut for the winter as per rituals with chanting of Vedic hymns accompanied by music played by local musical instruments, the tunes of the army band, and cheers of scores of devotees.
As per traditions, it is believed that after the portals are shut, Lord Kedarnath becomes austere for six months of winter in the Himalayas for the welfare of the world. After the doors of the sanctum sanctorum were shut, the Panchmukhi movable Vigraha Utsav Doli (palanquin) of Lord Kedarnath was specially decorated.
After that, the palanquin of Lord Kedarnath was brought to the temple premises from the mandap amidst cheers from assembled devotees. After circumambulating thrice the main temple, the palanquin was taken in a procession to the winter seat of Okareshwar Temple in Ukhimath.
This year the Chardham Yatra began on Akshaya Tritiya, on May 3 this year while the doors of Kedarnath Temple opened on May 6. —ANI