Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) [India], September 24 (ANI): Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swarup on Thursday said Hemkund Sahib has witnessed a record pilgrim rush this year, with around 3.40 lakh devotees already visiting the Sikh shrine, and the footfall is expected to rise further in the remaining 17 days of the pilgrimage season.
Speaking to ANI, Swarup said the number of pilgrims visiting Hemkund Sahib has been steadily increasing over the past few years, with this year's footfall already surpassing the previous annual record.
“Along with the Char Dham Yatra, the Hemkund Sahib Yatra has been steadily increasing over the past few years. Last year, the highest number of pilgrims, 274,000, came and visited Hemkund Sahib. This time, about a month and a half was still remaining in our pilgrimage season, yet 340,000 pilgrims have already had their darshan at Hemkund Sahib,” Swarup said.
He said the pilgrimage season still had 17 days remaining and estimated that another 50,000 to 60,000 pilgrims could visit the shrine during this period.
“And right now, 17 days of the yatra are still remaining. So, in these 17 days, I expect that around 50,000 to 60,000 more pilgrims will arrive and undertake the journey. So, I believe this number is going to increase significantly,” he said.
Swarup added that the administration has continuously strengthened arrangements to ensure the convenience and safety of pilgrims and facilitate the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.
Meanwhile, preparations for the upcoming Haridwar Kumbh Mela are also progressing at a rapid pace, with the administration focusing on infrastructure, security, traffic management and crowd control.
Swarup said preparations for the Kumbh are in full swing, with all departments working together to ensure devotees face no inconvenience and the event is conducted peacefully and safely.
“The preparations for the Kumbh Mela are moving forward in full swing. All permanent construction and development works are progressing rapidly, and many of these projects have already been completed. The works of a temporary nature are being initiated now,” he told ANI.
He said tenders for the temporary works have been finalised and work will begin on-site shortly.
“We currently have three months left, and within these three months, we need to complete all the projects related to the Kumbh,” Swarup said.
He added that he conducted an inspection in Haridwar last Sunday and would carry out another inspection in the next couple of days.
“Instructions have been issued to all departments to execute the work rapidly, in a time-bound manner, and ensuring high quality,” he said.
The administration is also strengthening arrangements at the ghats in Rishikesh and Haridwar, along with security, traffic and crowd-management measures, Swarup said.
The developments come amid a strong pilgrim turnout across Uttarakhand's major shrines this year. According to the Chief Minister's Office, Badrinath Dham has also recorded a historic footfall, with the number of devotees crossing 17 lakh for the first time. (ANI)
Hemkund Sahib sees record pilgrim rush with 3.4 lakh devotees so far; footfall expected to rise further, says Garhwal Commissioner
