Kedarnath Yatra Generates Rs 200 Crore In A Month Despite 31% Decline In Char Dham Pilgrims

Last Updated:June 02, 2025, 17:36 IST

Despite a 31% decline in Char Dham Yatra pilgrims, Kedarnath saw a business boom, generating Rs 200 crore in a month, benefiting hotels, helicopter services, and horse operators

Devotees at the opening of the portal of Kedarnath Temple, in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand Friday, May 2, 2025. (PTI Photo)

Even as concerns mount over a 31 per cent decline in pilgrim footfall across Uttarakhand’s Char Dham Yatra this year, the Kedarnath leg of the pilgrimage is witnessing a dramatic upswing in commercial activity, generating business worth an estimated Rs 200 crore in just one month.

The Kedarnath Yatra officially began on May 2 with the ceremonial opening of the temple doors to devotees. Since then, over seven lakh pilgrims have braved the treacherous 20-kilometre mountainous trek to reach the revered 11th Jyotirlinga nestled in the Garhwal Himalayas.

According to local estimates, the hotel industry has emerged as the biggest beneficiary of the pilgrimage, raking in nearly Rs 100 crore from bookings and stays. Helicopter services, which offer an aerial alternative to the grueling ascent, have brought in Rs 35 crore, ferrying around 33,000 devotees to Kedarnath by air as of May 31. Horse and mule operators, another critical cog in the pilgrimage wheel, have earned Rs 40.5 crore by transporting 1,39,444 pilgrims along the steep path.

Further revenue has come from the state-run Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), which has generated over Rs 3.8 crore through bookings of rest houses and the now-famous meditation cave, popularised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in 2019.

Meanwhile, the often-overlooked Dandi-Kandi services – manual palanquins used by those unable to make the trek – have witnessed a robust revival. With over 29,000 devotees availing these services, they have contributed Rs 1.16 crore to the local economy. More than 7,000 Dandi-Kandi operators are registered this year, highlighting the strong grassroots employment the Yatra continues to support.

Amidst these buoyant figures, officials have also taken steps to ensure compliance with health and sanitation norms. Fines amounting to Rs 2.26 lakh have been imposed on various establishments for violations related to cleanliness and other operational guidelines.

Yet, these record-breaking business numbers arrive against a backdrop of diminishing pilgrim presence across the broader Char Dham Yatra.

According to a report by the Dehradun-based SDC Foundation, the Char Dham Yatra witnessed a 31% decline in pilgrim footfall during the first two weeks this year compared to the same period in 2024. As reported by PTI on May 15, a total of 6,62,446 pilgrims visited the temples of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri between April 30 and May 13 this year – down from 9,61,302 in the corresponding period last year.

Head of the SDC Foundation, Anoop Nautiyal, attributed this steep fall of nearly three lakh pilgrims to military escalations between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack in April. “The military escalation between India and Pakistan in recent weeks has undoubtedly impacted public sentiment and travel confidence. There has been a slowdown in inter-state pilgrim movement, especially from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and parts of Rajasthan," PTI reported Nautiyal as saying.

“The Char Dham Yatra, being highly dependent on interstate mobility and group travel, has been directly affected," he added.

Despite the decline, Nautiyal expressed cautious optimism that the Yatra could regain momentum in the second half of May and early June. “Last year’s data trends showed that the yatra typically peaks during the second fortnight of May and the first fortnight of June. With security conditions expected to stabilise between the two countries, we foresee a surge in footfall in the latter half of the month," he reportedly said.

He also urged the Uttarakhand government to act decisively to boost pilgrim confidence. “We need a similar proactive response in Uttarakhand," he said, citing how the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board had successfully launched awareness campaigns, strengthened on-ground facilities, and reassured pilgrims through targeted messaging.

The SDC Foundation has further called for urgent implementation of recommendations made in its 2024 report, ‘Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra: Pathways to Pilgrimage – Data, Insights, Challenges and Opportunities’. “We had called for clear protocols on carrying capacity, crowd regulation, environmental safeguards, and real-time communication. Unfortunately, many of these remain unaddressed," Nautiyal noted.

Location :

Rudraprayag | Dehradun, India

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