BW Sunday Reads: Kedarnath, A Door To 'Plentiful Prosperity'

On Tuesday, doors of Kedarnath Dham opened for this year with a golden canopy and a golden water stream (a pitcher) also installed on the Shivling of Baba Kedar.

Located 86 Kilometre away from Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand, Kedarnath has utmost prominence in Hinduism among other pilgrimages. 

The sacred place is known for its perfect blend of scenic beauty, cold weather and spiritual ambience. Kedarnath is also counted as one of the places in the Chota Char Dham Yatra that includes; Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The doors of Kedarnath open in the months of April or May every year. 

Mythological Significance 

As per the Hindu beliefs, Pandavas built this temple when they went to acquit their sins after Mahabharata. In the 9th century, the Kedarnath temple was revived by Adi Shankaracharya. Kedarnath is also one of the twelve jyotirlingas situated across India. 

Economic Significance 

According to the estimate given by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) last year, Kedarnath made a great business of nearly Rs 211 crores. As per the reports of ANI, For the first time, horse-mule owners in Kedarnath Dham did a record business of about Rs 1 billion 9 crores 28 lakh rupees. Due to this the government also got more than Rs 8 crore as revenue.

The wealth is being expanded every year, The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council announced in March that a total of 6.34 lakh devotees had registered in advance of the upcoming Chardham Yatra in which 2.41 lakh registrations have been completed for Kedarnath Dham. Last year, The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council revealed that 7,32,241 pilgrims had visited the Kedarnath shrine in 2018.

Temples carry a rich history to provide economic benefits as well as fiscal stabilisation through extra sources of income. Since the Indus Valley civilisation followed by the Rigveda period gives traces that temples were the nodal places where economic activities were being performed. 

The temples were not only used to store the farm product of a year but also were the lands given by kings to the Brahmins in return to perform their various rites and rituals. The temples were the centre to exchange goods and services in a city along with the bazaars that helped people to earn more, and hence eventually temples created a strong economic circuit. 

In modern days, the structure of the economy remains the same but has also evolved into a sector of religious tourism. India has many cities that have religious prominence and running over the revenue comes from the tourist who visits its sacred places such as Kashi, Vrindavan, Puri, and Thirupathi. Located in the Himalayan ranges, Kedarnath has emerged as people’s favourite place to visit during the month of May and June when almost the whole country witnesses scorching summer. 

Roadblocks To Revival 

If the world is going to remember major catastrophes, the Kedarnath tragedy of 2013 will be one of them. In the early hours of 16 June 2013, the region got devastated by a cloudburst and heavy rain. The devastation went on for many days, According to the data given by the Uttarakhand government, around 5,700 people died that includes 934 local residents. Different reports claimed that unnatural development played a negative role in creating such horrible disasters in the region. 

Many films and documentaries also strive to put up the actual incidents on the big screen. The state government seek financial assistance from the central government and succeeded to get it in Rs 400 crore. The government devised a two-pronged strategy to restore the Kedarnath temple area Apart from financial assistance, the state government of Uttarakhand sketch out many plans, policies and frameworks to revoke the old magnitude of the place. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also a frequent visitor of the Kedarnath temple. Last year in October PM Modi laid the foundation of a connectivity project worth more than Rs 3400 crores in Kedarnath in order to boost the religious tourism in the region. 

Even after the horrific flood and Covid-19, the tourism of Kedarnath is back on track again and serving lakhs of tourists every day. One side where the sacred place of Kedarnath is the true example of religion can boost the economy. On the other side, the 2013 disaster was a true instance of neglecting the environment while heading towards economic development can turn up into a catastrophe.