About one month is about to pass since the portals of the Badrinath shrine were closed to the public for the winter season. However, the winter pilgrimage, much touted by the state government has now yet shown any signs of having started as was being claimed by politicians in the past.
The portals of Badrinath temple in Chamoli district were closed to the public for the winters this year on November 16.
The dream project of the chief minister Harish Rawat- the winter Char Dham Yatra has failed to pick up. At the time of the closure of the Badrinath temple, the chief minister had spoken of developing the winter abodes of the Char Dham shrine deities and a ‘Badrish Ganga’ scheme to facilitate the continuation of pilgrimage by the devotees of lord Badrinath during the winters. About a month after the portals of the shrine were closed to the public, this ‘dream project’ of the chief minister appears to be failing to succeed. There are hardly any pilgrims visible at the winter-period abode of Badrinath- Pandukeshwar and the Narsinh temple. Observers point out that whether it be a probable impact of the demonetisation decision or some other factor, the impact on the winter Yatra plans of the state government has not been positive from the commercial point of view. Whereas the plains in north India are experiencing thick foggy conditions, the weather in the mountainous regions is quite pleasant with the snowfall not having started yet. Those people not happy with the foggy conditions would have enjoyed the weather in the mountainous regions these days but in absence of visitors, the members of the business fraternity here have remained disappointed while awaiting footfalls of the devotees of lord Badrinath visiting the Joshimath area.