Yatra to Kedarnath to be resumed on October 1: CM

Pilgrimage to Kedarnath shrine in Garhwal Himalayas, which was suspended in the wake of the June calamity in Uttarakhand, will be resumed on October one, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna on Thursday said.

The yatra will, however, be on a low key initially with only a limited number of devotees allowed to visit the Himalayan shrine considering the condition of roads in the area, Bahuguna said in his message on World Tourism Day.

Areas adjoining Kedarnath shrine bore the brunt of the deluge that struck the state on June 16-17.

The road leading to the shrine have now been repaired and the yatra can be resumed albeit on a small scale, he said.

Though admitting that the natural disaster in June has caused largescale damage to tourist infrastructure in the state, the chief minister said most of the popular tourist destinations in Uttarakhand "fortunately are still safe".

"Mussoorie, Nainital, Rishikesh, Ranikhet and other popular tourist destinations in Uttarakhand continue to be safe and people can visit them," he said.

Reiterating the state government's commitment to re-establish Uttarakhand as a tourism hot spot, he said efforts are underway to put back on track the tourism industry which suffered a knock in the tragedy.

A conference of tour operators from across the country will be held in Dehradun after Dusshehra to instill confidence in them, he said.