Ropeway to reduce Gaurikund-Kedarnath travel time from 9 hours to 36 minutes | Details

With a total length of 12.9 kilometres, the project promises to offer a convenient, eco-friendly alternative to the traditional Kedar Valley trek.

Published on: Mar 5, 2025, 20:54:35 IST

By HT News Desk

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The government on Wednesday approved two ropeway projects in Uttarakhand to reduce travel time for pilgrims to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib.

Security personnel stand guard outside the Kedarnath Temple as it remains closed during the Winter season, in Rudraprayag on Saturday. ( (ANI Photo))

The move is set to transform the Kedarnath experience, one of the most sacred Hindu pilgrims for millions of devotees, as it will reduce the travel or trekking time from 8-9 hours to 36 minutes.

Currently, pilgrims navigate a challenging 16-km uphill trek from Gaurikund to Kedarnath, which can take anywhere from 8 to 9 hours on foot or by pony.

Two ropeway projects, Sonprayag to Kedarnath and Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib, were approved by the union cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday.

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The decisions of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were announced by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Kedarnath ropeway project: Details here

With a total length of 12.9 kilometres, the project is estimated to cost around ₹4,081 crore and promises to offer a convenient, eco-friendly alternative to the traditional Kedar Valley trek.

The ropeway is planned to be developed in public-private partnership and will be based on the most advanced Tri-cable Detachable Gondola (3S) technology with a design capacity of 1,800 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD) carrying 18,000 passengers per day.

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Kedarnath is one of the 12 sacred Jyotirlingas situated at an elevation of 3,583 m (11968 ft) in the Rudraprayag district of the State of Uttarakhand. The temple is open for pilgrims for about 6 to 7 months in a year from Akshaya Tritiya (April-May) to Diwali (October-November) and is visited by about 20 lakh pilgrims annually during the season.

Hemkund Ji Sahib ropeway project: All you need to know

Vaishnaw informed that the 12.4-km ropeway project from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ji too will be developed on DBFOT mode at a total capital cost of ₹2,730.13 crore.

Currently, the journey to the Hemkund Sahib Ji is a challenging 21-km uphill trek from Govindghat and is covered on foot or by ponies or palanquins.

The proposed ropeway is planned to provide convenience to pilgrims visiting the Hemkund Sahib Ji and will ensure all-weather last-mile connectivity between Govindghat and Hemkund Sahib Ji.

Vaishnaw informed that 1.77 lakh people went to Hemkund Sahib Ji last year. The ropeway is expected to increase the number of people visiting there by 10 times.

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HT News Desk
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