As the State Government is planning to facilitate recreational skiing on the slopes of Kedarnath during the winter, the intelligentsia here in Joshimath have raised objections saying that would amount to violation of the religious beliefs and ancient traditions. Instead of executing this plan, the State Government should focus on Auli, which appears to have been neglected since the SAF Winter Games held here in 2010.
The State Government is planning, depending on adequate snowfall, to organise recreational skiing with assistance from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) at Kedarnath during January-February 2016. This is planned as part of measures to boost winter tourism in Uttarakhand.
However, the intelligentsia in Joshimath opine that this would amount to misuse of public money on a proposition that is questionable from varied aspects including environmental, religious and cultural.
On the one hand, the world famous destination for winter sports - Auli near Joshimath - appears neglected since the SAF Winter Games were organised here in 2010 while on the other hand, the State is planning to facilitate winter sports at a pilgrimage centre highly venerated by countless people in India and beyond.
Observers state that organising recreational activities at Kedarnath would be a violation of ancient religious and spiritual traditions. It is believed that during the winter when the shrine is closed to the public and the area is covered by thick snow, lord Shiva, it is believed, remains immersed in meditation here. Organising recreational skiing here during the winter is against the religious traditions and beliefs held for centuries now.
Author and journalist Mahesh Sati states, "Most facilities needed for winter sports were developed at Auli and ignoring it in favour of skiing in Kedarnath is not only a waste of public money but also against tradition."
The public view in Joshimath in general is that the State Government should maintain and capitalise on the winter sports facilities at Auli to boost tourism and facilitate income generation for the locals. The plan to facilitate skiing at Kedarnath might also prove to be an expensive activity as the people will have to travel by helicopter to reach Kedarnath during the winter when all land routes to the shrine are covered by snow. Additionally, the locals would gain little or nothing from skiing activity at Kedarnath. The government should organise recreational activities at tourist destinations and not in pilgrimage centres, opine the public in general.