Unaffected by the political fluctuations in Uttarakhand, there has been a noticeable spike in the number of pilgrims from across the nation and abroad arriving in the State since the commencement of this year’s Char Dham Yatra on Monday.
The portals of Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines have been re-opened to the public with the portals of Badrinath set to be reopened on May 11. Even as the State establishment maintains its stance for ‘capitalising’ on potential for income generation from the Char Dham Yatra, there is growing concern among members of the religious fraternity, rural mountainous community of Uttarakhand and various spheres—scientific, environmental, cultural and activism—about rising commercialism, ‘VIP’ culture and other shifts from age old traditions being made as a result of the association of commercial recreational tourism with spiritual pilgrimage and native traditions.
It is worth mentioning here that in the recent past, the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Peet and Dwarika Peeth, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati had expressed his disapproval of the growing commercialisaton of the Char Dham pilgrimage, stressing on the need to differentiate between recreational tourism aimed at commercial profit and Char Dham Yatra based on ancient religious traditions maintained by devotees observing self-restraint. Pilgrimage which requires spiritual focus should not be distorted by connecting it with recreational tourism activities which also involve the consumption of meat and alcohol among other activities proscribed for one undertaking a spiritual pilgrimage.
The Shankaracharya’s views had elicited support from some of the religious fraternity, intellectuals, scientists and environmentalists. But factors like the recent political fluctuations resulting in imposition of president’s rule in Uttarakhand, appear to have shifted focus away from this issue.
However, the issue has not been forgotten by all as in the case of the Swami Ram Teertha Ashram Samiti (SRTAS) which has planned to undertake a march on foot from Badrinath to Haridwar from May 21 with the objective of “upholding the sanctity of the Char Dham pilgrimage, seeking closure of liquor outlets on pilgrimage circuit, motivate people to observe temperance and save the environment”.
According to the SRTAS office bearers, the 300 kilometre journey would focus on appealing the Char Dham pilgrims, hoteliers and locals on the Char Dham Yatra circuit to abstain from consumption of non-vegetarian food and liquor.