Char Dhams booking goes online

The administration of Char Dhams has now started the facility of online booking for darshan at Char Dhams. The pilgrims had to stand in long queues for darshan at these dhams and a lot of precious time was wasted. Keeping in view the convenience of the pilgrims, now the management committees of these dhams have provided the facility of internet booking on the sites of these dhams. Now on the lines of Vaishno Devi temple, the pilgrims visiting the char dhams can get their time of offering prayers at the dhams already booked at the websites of the dhams. It will solve much of their difficulties and they can plan their trip accordingly. Meanwhile, there is good news for the pilgrims who are short of time and are planning a trip for the sacred Char Dham yatra. Many private aviation companies including Prabhatam and Pawan Hans, have started air services for Char Dhams. Six more companies have so far been permitted by the state government to operate their air services. The private aviation companies are vying with one another in offering lucrative packages to the pilgrims of Char Dhams.

The second phase of the Ganga Sparsh Abhiyan will start in the state with the beginning of the Char Dham yatra. It is to be mentioned here that the ambitious project has been launched by the state government for the conservation of the rivers of the state and to ensure their purity and their cleanliness. About one lakh volunteers of the NSS, the women and youth volunteers and many social organizations are participating in the drive to clean the rivers. The first phase of the movement was launched by the state chief minister, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, at Haridwar and Rishikesh on the bank of the Ganga. The assistant commandant of the youth welfare and prantiya rakshak dal department of the state, Ajay Kumar Agrawal, says that under the second phase the work of cleaning up of the main rivers, their tributaries and springs will be taken up from Gangotri to Badrinath.

Meanwhile, the Char Dham Vikas Parishad has demanded Rs.400 crores from the centre for the Char Dham Yatra. It is to be mentioned here that the Parishad looks after the management of the four dhams and is also responsible for creating infrastructure for the pilgrims who undertake the Char Dham yatra. The vice president of the Char Dham Yatra Vikas Parishad, Surat Ram Nautiyal, says that the central government provided the financial assistance of Rs.550 crore for the holding of the Kumbh at Haridwar. "The Char Dham yatra is also a mega cultural event. If the central government provides adequate assistance, better facilities of transportation, drinking water, medical aid, boarding and lodging etc. can be provided to lacs of pilgrims," says Nautiyal. The Parishad has also demanded 200 megawatt of free electricity from the central government for the yatra. "The state is passing through scarcity of electricity. If the central government provides 200 MW of electricity, the electricity requirements of the pilgrims can be fully met," says Nautiyal.