Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) [India], June 23 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday said that the ongoing Kedarnath Dham Yatra has become a confluence of the remarkable synergy between spiritual devotion and development in the state.

Taking to X, CM Dhami announced that in a span of just 48 days, more than 11.4 lakh devotees have paid their respects at the revered Kedarnath shrine.'

Describing the pilgrimage as 'a wonderful confluence of development with faith,' the Chief Minister said the surge in footfall has not only strengthened Uttarakhand's spiritual landscape but also significantly boosted its local economy.

'This is not just a pilgrimage but has become a symbol of Uttarakhand's economic, cultural and spiritual prosperity. Hail Baba Kedar!' he said, sharing updates using the hashtag #CharDhamYatra2025.

The annual Char Dham Yatra, which includes pilgrimages to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, is one of the most significant religious journeys in Hinduism.

The state government has undertaken a series of infrastructure upgrades in recent years--including improved roads, helicopter services, and better accommodation--to ensure a safer and smoother pilgrimage experience for devotees.

This year, the Kedarnath Dham has seen an unprecedented inflow of pilgrims, which officials attribute to both improved facilities and increasing spiritual interest.

Authorities have also deployed enhanced security and medical response teams to manage the high-altitude yatra effectively.

The Kedarnath temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is located at an altitude of over 11,000 feet in the Himalayas and holds immense religious significance.

The Kedarnath Yatra doors for the year 2025 were opened for devotees on May 2.

According to an official release, local hotels, restaurants, traders, and small businesses like horse-mule, heli, and dandi-kandi services collectively did business of about three billion.

The local traders, women self-help groups, taxi operators, and people associated with any kind of business are getting full benefits of the pilgrimage, it added.

Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Ashish Rawat said, 'Till June 18, 2,27,614 pilgrims have reached for darshan through horses and mules, which has generated an income of Rs 66 crore 73 lakh 90 thousand 350.'He also mentioned that this year, about 8,000 horses and mules are registered. Due to the infectious disease equine influenza virus, horse-mule operations were also affected for a few days.

The heli services play a very important role in the Kedarnath Yatra, as they give devotees who are unable to walk to complete the Yatra an opportunity. This service also generates income.

Emphasising this, District Tourism Officer and Nodal Heli Service official Rahul Chaubey said that this year eight heli companies are operating from nine helipads.

Till June 18, 49,247 devotees have reached Baba Kedarnath Dham through heli services, which has generated an income of about Rs 60 crore, he added.

Chaubey also appealed to devotees to book heli services only through the official website of IRCTC.The operation of dandi-kandi, which is considered safer for small children, has also generated Rs 2 crore till June 18, the press release mentioned.This includes challans and fines of Rs 4,17,000 imposed on various establishments for spreading dirt and violating other rules, it added.

Additional Chief Officer of District Panchayat Rudraprayag, Sanjay Kumar, also highlighted that more than 7,000 dandi-kandi operators are registered for this year's Yatra.

Assistant Transport Officer of Rudraprayag, Kulwant Singh Chauhan, said that this year, 225 vehicles are registered for the shuttle service in the Shri Kedarnath Dham Yatra, the release mentioned.

Till June 18, the taxi operators have earned around Rs 11 crore 40 thousand through the shuttle services. (ANI)