Uttarakhand: Village-level committees to manage pilgrimage to Rudranath temple
Uttarakhand: Village-level committees to manage pilgrimage to Rudranath temple
Gopeshwar, Uttarakhand's village-level eco-development committees will manage the pilgrimage to Rudranath temple this year to provide better facilities to pilgrims and generate livelihood opportunities for the locals.
According to forest officials, it was the first time village-level committees were being involved by the forest department on such a large scale in the management of the pilgrimage.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Rudranatah temple is one in the series of Panch Kedar shrines and is located within the Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary, a protected site. The doors of the temple are scheduled to reopen for devotees on May 18.
One has to travel about 20 km on foot to reach the temple. Despite the lack of basic facilities such as proper accommodation, food and trained guides, hundreds of pilgrims and tourists from across the country visit the temple each year. Several cases of pilgrims getting lost in the area have been reported in the past.
"With the roping in of village-level committees in the management of the pilgrimage, the situation is likely to be better this time," Divisional Forest Officer of Kedarnath Wildlife Forest Division Tarun S told PTI.
He said the travellers will also get the support of trained nature guides.
The Kedarnath Wildlife Forest Division is responsible for maintaining the protected site. It helps in making facilities available to pilgrims through the eco-development committees set up in villages along the route.
By involving the eco-development committees in this programme, the administration looks to improve the livelihood of the villagers residing along the route to the Rudranath temple as well as conservation of the Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary and its wildlife, the DFO said.
Efforts are being made to provide better facilities to the pilgrims and to ensure that the villages benefit from controlled tourism and pilgrimage, he said.
Environment activist Vinay Semwal, who is assisting the forest department in this task, said Kedarnath Sanctuary officials have held a series of meetings at the villages since last December over the matter.
A plan has been prepared to ensure that all residents of these villages get the benefit of the income generated from pilgrims visiting Rudranath temple through village-level 'Eco Vikas Samitis'.
The president of Eco Vikas Samiti at Gwad Gram Panchayat, Devendra Singh, said preparations for the pilgrimage have been made in his village.
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