Concerts by prominent singers planned

The State authorities have planned concerts by known singers at the Char Dham shrines on the day of their reopening. The authorities claim to have made necessary arrangements for facilitating a safe a convenient pilgrimage. The biometric registration counter at Rishikesh has started functioning while similar centres at Narsan and Haridwar will start functioning on May 1 apart from which the biometric registration and verification counters in the mountainous regions near the Char Dham shrines are also expected to start operating in the next couple of days.

According to the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board joint director AK Dwivedi, the UTDB has released funds to the Culture Department which will organise concerts by prominent singers at the Char Dham shrines.  Folk singers Hira Singh Rana and Mahendra Singh Chauhan will perform at Yamunotri on May 2, folk singer Narendra Singh Negi will perform at Gangotri on May 2, renowned Hindustani classical singer Pandit Jasraj will perform at Kedarnath on May 4 and singer Kailash Kher will perform at Badrinath on May 5. These concerts will be held on the mornings when the portals of the four shrines are reopened to the public.

Apart from this the biometric registration counter for mandatory registration of those undertaking the Char Dham Yatra has been started at the Yatra bus terminal at Rishikesh. Similar counters will be opened at Haridwar and Narsan on May 1, said Dwivedi. Additionally, the registration and verification counters at about half a dozen places will also be opened in the next couple of days.