The two-day cycle rally that would cover 90 kms from Rudraprayag to Gaurikund via Guptkashi- aimed at promoting safe and secure Char Dham Yatra- kicked off on Friday, coinciding with the fabled pilgrimage to the four shrines having started the same day. large number of local residents, police and Indian Army personnel participated in the rally that started its journey from Rudraprayag at around 6 am on Friday.
Rudraprayag senior superintendent of police Pralad Narayan Meena who led the rally said that it is aimed at disseminating message of safe, secure and comfortable char dham yatra.
The rally that started from Rudraprayag bazaar passed through various places before it reached Guptkashi after covering around 45 kms. Participants were welcomed on their arrival by the locals at Agastyamuni, Kund and Guptkashi. Vinod Gusain, resident of Srinagar, said that the cycle he was riding for the rally had been manufactured in Germany during the Second World War.
Meena said that the participants would stay the night at Guptkashi and the rally would resume from Guptkashi on way to Gaurikund on Saturday.
He further said that elaborate security arrangements have been made along the pilgrimage routes with the possibility of lakhs of pilgrims, including VVIPs, reaching the shrines. Adequate number of temporary police posts has been set up along the routes to the shrines passing through Rudraprayag district, he said. Notably, the char dham yatra has begun from Friday with the opening of the portals of the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines while the yatra for Kedarnath and Badrinath would start on May 3 and and May 6 respectively.