KEDARNATH, Oct 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday laid the foundation
stone for a ropeway to Kedarnath from Gaurikund for pilgrims costing Rs 1,267
cr. The 9.7 km ropeway covers a trekking distance of 14 km from Gaurikund. The
ropeway will reduce the time taken to reach the shrine. Gaurikund is the nearest
road head to Kedarnath.
Modi also launched a ropeway project for Hemkunt Sahib near Badrinath.
Earlier, Modi offered prayers at the Kedarnath shrine and the samadhi sthal
of Adi Sankaracharya. Governor Gurmit Singh and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh
Dhami accompanied him.
Govindghat is the nearest road head to Hemkunt Sahib. One has to trek a distance
of about 18 km from Govindghat to reach Hemkunt Sahib. It is steep. One should
be fit and adequately prepared. At 15,000 ft, the air is thin and oxygen less.
The length of the planned ropeway connecting Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib will
be around 12 km. Hemkunt is a Sikh pilgrim centre, open six months from May,
and closed in winter. There is a cap on the number of daily pilgrims allowed.
It is believed that Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru of the Sikhs, spent 10
years in meditation here.
During his two-day visit to Uttarakhand, the Prime Minister visited several
temples and laid the foundation stones for many projects. He also visited Mana.
The reconstruction work under the first phase in Kedarnath following the devastating
flash floods of 2013 has been completed.
