Tag: Uttarakhand

Saraswati Asthapath At Kedarnath

Mandakini, Saraswati Asthapath At Kedarnath To Boost Religious Tourism

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a visit to Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath on Friday for the launch of various developmental projects.

He will also review the progress of the development works of Mandakini ashtpath and Saraswati ashtpath in Kedarnath.
With the construction of the two asthpath, cultural tourism is expected to get a huge thrust in the region.

The point where there is a confluence of Mandakini or Saraswati is called Sangam snan ghat in the Kedarnath temple.

The devotees take a holy dip before going inside the temple to offer prayers. Two roads diverge from here which lead to the temple. The developmental projects that are underway in Kedarnath include Mandakini Ashtpath and Saraswati Ashtpath, which will be inspected by the Prime Minister tomorrow.

Two separate bridges have been constructed from Sangam snan ghat to Mandakini Ashtpath and Saraswati Ashtpath, from where the devotees will enter the temple.

“A queue management has been readied at the interjection of the two bridges from where the devotees will enter. They will reach the temple directly from this point,” the site engineers told ANI.

A water ATM has also been set up at Mandakini Ashtpath where 22 water taps have been installed. The devotees will get warm and cold water here. New shops have also been brought up where the materials relating to worship will be available.

Nearly eight buildings have been built with two floors each. There are four rooms on the ground floor and the top floor each. Shops will be set up on the ground floor while the priests will be made to stay on the top floor. Toilets and other facilities have been taken care of for the devotees.

Rooms for the priests and a corridor for worship have been made in the Saraswati Ashtpath. A separate building has been built here, where the work relating to the administration will be done.

Developmental works are underway in Kedarnath at a fast pace. With the construction of Mandakini Ashtpath and Saraswati Ashtpath, cultural tourism is expected to get a huge boost in the region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttarakhand tomorrow.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, in Kedarnath, at around 8:30 am, he will perform darshan and pooja at Shri Kedarnath Temple. At around 9 am, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the Kedarnath Ropeway Project. After that, he will visit the Adi Guru Shankaracharya Samadhi Sthal. At around 9:25 am, he will review the progress of development works along Mandakini Asthapath and Saraswati Asthapath.

Thereafter, Prime Minister will reach Badrinath where, at around 11:30 AM, Prime Minister will perform darshan and pooja at Shri Badrinath Temple. At 12 noon, he will review the progress of the development work of the riverfront, followed by laying the foundation stone of road and ropeway projects at Mana village at 12:30 PM. Thereafter, at around 2 PM, he will review the progress of the development work of the arrival plaza and lakes.

Kedarnath and Badrinath are one of the most important Hindu shrines. The area is also known for one of the revered Sikh Pilgrim sites – Hemkund Sahib. The connectivity projects being undertaken show the Prime Minister’s commitment to ease access and improve basic infrastructure in places of religious significance. (ANI)

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Narendra Modi

Modi To Visit Ayodhya On Diwali Eve

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a jam-packed schedule this festive season with back-to-back visits to Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh which will include a visit to Ayodhya on the eve of Diwali.

The Prime Minister’s visits would cover sectors such as education, environment, spiritual heritage, sports, roads, ropeways, temple rejuvenation, tourism, lighthouse, LiFE, infrastructure, and industries.
His schedule begins with the two-day visit to Gujarat starting October 19. He will dedicate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth around Rs 15,670 crore.

On October 19, PM Modi will participate in five different events. He will inaugurate the DefExpo22 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. He will launch the Mission Schools of Excellence at Adalaj. He will lay the foundation stone for various development projects in Junagadh. He will inaugurate India Urban Housing Conclave 2022 and dedicate and lay the foundation stone of multiple key projects in Rajkot. He will also inaugurate the exhibition of innovative construction practices.

On October 20, the Prime Minister will launch Mission LiFE, followed by his participation in the 10th Heads of Missions Conference in Kevadia, after which he will lay the foundation stone of various development initiatives at Vyara.

After concluding his visit to his home state, PM Modi will head towards the spiritual destinations of Kedarnath and Badrinath, where he will lay the foundation stone of connectivity projects worth around Rs 3,500 crore.

The Prime Minister will perform darshan and pooja at Shri Kedarnath Temple and at Shri Badrinath Temple. He will also review the progress of development work at Kedarnath and Badrinath.

On October 22, PM Modi will return from Uttarakhand. Later in the day, the Prime Minister will participate in the Griha Pravesham function of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Gramin) beneficiaries in Madhya Pradesh via video conferencing. He will also participate in an important program that will impact youth across the country, details of which will be revealed soon.

On October 23, PM Modi will reach Ayodhya where he will perform pooja and Darshan of Bhagwan Shri Ramlala Virajman followed by an inspection of the Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra site.

He will attend the Rajya-Abhishek of Bhagwan Shri Ram. Prime Minister will also witness the spectacular aarti at New Ghat of Saryu ji, followed by his participation in the grand Deepotsav celebrations. (ANI)

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U'khand BJP MLA Remarks On Hindu Goddesses

U’khand BJP MLA Triggers Row By Remarks On Hindu Goddesses, Gods

By LokMarg

BJP MLA from Kaladhungi, Banshidhar Bhagat triggered a controversy by his remarks at an event in Haldwani on the occasion of International Girl Child Day.

Bhagat said, “For knowledge, we have to ‘pataao’ Goddess Saraswati, for power, ‘pataao’ Goddess Durga and for wealth, ‘pataao’ Goddess Lakshmi. What does a man have?”
The MLA went on to add, “Lord Shiva lives in the mountains, Lord Vishnu in the deep ocean. Women empowerment has prevailed for a long time.”

Cabinet minister Rekha Arya was present as the chief guest at the event on Tuesday. (ANI)

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Uttarkashi Avalanche

Uttarkashi Avalanche: Rescue Ops Delayed Due To Bad Weather

By LokMarg

The operation to rescue the mountaineers stuck on the Draupadi ka Danda mountain peak in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district, where an avalanche hit on October 4, was delayed due to bad weather conditions on Friday morning.

Sub Divisional Magistrate, Bhatwadi, Chatar Singh said that four more bodies of the trainee mountaineers were brought on Friday morning, which will be taken for post-mortem.
“Four more bodies of trainee mountaineers have been brought this morning. Bodies are being taken for post-mortem. Their families have been informed,” Singh told ANI.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that a total of 19 bodies have been recovered so far and he is monitoring the rescue operation.

“Till now, 19 bodies have been recovered. Rescue operation is underway by teams of NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, Indian Army, and district administration. I’m also monitoring the rescue operation,” he said.

Earlier today, Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar said that efforts are being made to bring the bodies to Matli helipad by Advanced Light Helicopter today.

Out of the 19 bodies, four bodies were brought to the summit camp by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team deployed for the rescue operation, while 15 bodies were recovered at the place of the incident.

“From the summit camp, according to SDRF constable Sunil four bodies have been brought to the summit camp by the team,” said DGP Ashok Kumar.

Personnel from various teams of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), the Air Force, the Army and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the High Altitude War School in Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir have been deployed in the rescue operations, the official said.

Mountaineers from the NIM participating in a training course were trapped in a glacier crevice on Tuesday morning after an avalanche hit the peak. The team was returning after summiting.

NIM’s advanced training course team included trainees and instructors. On Thursday 12 more bodies were recovered.

Of the bodies recovered 14 were trainees and two were instructors, Uttarakhand Police said.

Earlier, Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami condoled the deaths of mountaineers.

“The rescue teams are working continuously and I am monitoring the situation”, the chief minister said.

On Tuesday, about 41 trainees and instructors of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering were hit by an avalanche. The institute said that the Advanced Mountaineering Course commenced on September 14 at NIM Uttarkashi.

The course moved to the mountain on September 23 with 41 people- 34 trainees and 7 instructors and one nursing assistant and arrived at the Base Camp on September 25. As per the training program, the course went on for high altitude training from October 2-October 4. After summiting the 5,670-meter altitude Mt Draupadi ka Danda II the team was on its way back when the avalanche struck at around 8; 45 am above camp 1 in which 34 trainees and 7 instructors got caught in it, according to a release by the NIM on October 4. (ANI)

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UKSSSC Paper Leak

UKSSSC Paper Leak: Chargesheet Against Expelled BJP Leader Hakam Singh

By LokMarg

The Special Task Force (STF) on Thursday filed another charge sheet against expelled BJP leader Hakam Singh and nine others in the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC) case.

“After the registration of the case on July 22 in this case, the STF has arrested 41 accused in this case so far, and the process of arrest is still going on,” STF’s Superintendent of Police of STF, Ajay Singh, said in a release.
The probe body has invoked the Gangsters Act against Singh and 21 other accused in the case.

As many as 41 people, including Gaurav Chauhan, the Additional Private Secretary in the Public Works and Forest Department of State Secretariat, allegedly involved in the paper leak case have been arrested so far.

STF is investigating the UKSSSC paper leak case but there is a demand for the CBI probe.

“I have also said earlier that cases of wrongful recruitment have been coming for many years. Now that the matter has come before me, we have given the police to investigate and hand over the case to STF,” Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had said on September 23.

The Chief Minister clarified that the case may get shifted to the CBI, if there is a need.

“We have not drawn any Lakshman Rekha for investigation,” he said when asked if his government will recommend a CBI probe into the case.

On Tuesday, Hakam Singh’s resort in Uttarkashi’s Sankri Mori was bulldozed by authorities as it was allegedly illegally constructed. (ANI)

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Mountaineering, Trekking Banned Amid Bad weather: Uttarkashi

By LokMarg

In the view of the safety of the trekking and mountaineering teams in Uttarkashi, district magistrate Abhishek Ruhela on Thursday instructed to keep the activities here closed for the next three days.

Ruhela has banned these activities in Uttarkashi from October 6 (today) to October 8 (Saturday)
The DM’s decision came after the meterorological department issued an alert for the rain and snow fall here.

The India Meteorological Deaprtment on Monday predicted “Intense rainfall spell likely to commence over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh from 05th October for subsequent 2-3 days and heavy rainfall spell over most parts of east and northeast India during next 3-4 days.”

Recently on Tuesday, a huge avalanche hit nearly 41 mountaineers and trainees of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) at Draupadi’s Danda-II mountain peak in Uttarkashi.

Earlier in the day, a team of team of experts from Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir joined the rescue operation with the team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM).

The officials of the Indian Air Force had previously informed that they had deployed two helicopters from Sarsawa and Bareilly for the rescue operation with which several mountaineers were rescued from Base Camp located at about 12,000 ft to Matli helipad.

A day after four mountaineers lost their lives in the avalanche in Uttarkashi with several still missing, the survivors narrated their horrific experiences on Wednesday.

Deep Thakur, a trainee from Gujarat, who survived the accident while undergoing treatment at the district hospital, said that the avalanche came all of a sudden while he was climbing to Draupadi’s Danda Peak for a summit at around 9.45 am, due to which he along with his companions fell into the crevasses about 60 feet deep, where he struggled between death and life for about 3 hours.

On Wednesday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also conducted an aerial inspection of the rescue and relief operation being carried out to find the mountaineering trainees who were hit by the avalanche and announced financial assistance to the kin of the deceased in the Uttarkashi and Pauri Garhwal tragedies which occurred on Tuesday.

“An amount of Rs 2 lakh for deaths, Rs one lakh for serious injuries, and Rs 50,000 for normal injuries will be given to all those affected by these two tragedies,” an official informed.

Besides the tragic incident of the avalanche in Uttarkashi, CM Dhami announced ex-gratia for the accident, which claimed 32 lives and injured more than 20 people after a bus carrying a wedding procession fell into a gorge in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot in the Pauri-Garhwal district on Tuesday night. (ANI)

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Islamabad-Lahore Highway Pakistan

25 Dead In Pauri Garhwal Bus Accident

By LokMarg

Twenty Five people were killed in the Pauri Garhwal bus accident that took place on Tuesday night in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot in Uttarakhand, informed Deputy General of Police Ashok Kumar.

Police and SDRF rescued 21 people overnight and the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals, he added.
“Twenty Five people were found dead in the Pauri Garwhal bus accident that took place last night in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot. Police and SDRF rescued 21 people overnight; the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals,” DGP Ashok Kumar told ANI.

Earlier on Tuesday, a bus carrying a wedding procession of 45 to 50 people fell into a gorge near Simdi village in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district.

“A wedding procession had left in a bus from here, Laldhang; an accident occurred. Information is being taken from the family members. A rescue operation is still underway by Pauri Police and SDRF at the spot,” said Haridwar SP City Swatantra Kumar Singh.

“Around 40-42 people were on the bus, including women and children. We are in continuous touch with the Pauri police and villagers. So far, 15-16 people have been rescued and sent to the nearest hospital. No information on any deaths received yet, “he had added. (ANI)

Islamabad-Lahore Highway Pakistan

Bus Carrying 50 People Falls Into Gorge In Pauri Garhwal

By LokMarg

A bus carrying around 45 to 50 people fell into a gorge on Rikhnikhal-Birokhal road near Simdi village in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district on Tuesday.

Circle Officer Sadar Premlal Tamta, while confirming the incident, said that the police had left from Dhumakote police station and Rikhnikhal police station for the spot.
Further details on the matter are awaited. (ANI)

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Mountaineering Trainees Trapped

28 Mountaineering Trainees Trapped In Avalanche At Danda-2 Peak

By LokMarg

As many as 28 people are feared trapped in an avalanche that hit Draupadi’s Danda-2 mountain peak in Uttarakhand, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Tuesday.

Rescue operations are underway to rescue the trapped, all trainees of the Nehru Mountaineering Institute of Uttarkashi.
According to preliminary reports avalanche hit the team around 9 AM today.

“Information about 28 trainees of Nehru Mountaineering Institute being trapped following an avalanche in Draupadi’s Danda-2 mountain peak has been received. Rapid, relief and rescue operations underway by the district administration, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel,” CM Dhami said.

“Rapid relief and rescue operations are being carried out by the district administration, NDRF, SDRF, Army and ITBP personnel along with the team of NIM to rescue the trainees trapped in the avalanche in Draupadi’s Danda-2 mountain peak at the earliest,” tweeted the chief minister Dhami.

A SDRF team left from Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun has rushed to rescue the trainees trapped in an avalanche for rescue work.

CM Dhami said that he has spoken to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and requested for help from the army to speed up the rescue operation.

“He has assured us to give every possible help from the Centre. A rescue operation is being conducted to bring out everyone,” Dhami said.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also took to Twitter and expressed his anguish to the loss of lives and consoled the bereaved families who lost their family members.

“Deeply anguished by the loss of precious lives due to landslide which has struck the mountaineering expedition carried out by the Nehru Mountaineering Institute in Uttarkashi. My condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones,” Rajnath Singh said in a tweet.

“Spoke to CM Uttarakhand, Shri @PushkarDhamiand took stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway to help the mountaineers who are still trapped. I have instructed the IAF to mount the rescue and relief ops. “Praying for everyone’s safety and well-being,” Singh said. (ANI)

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Uttarkashi Tunnel Site

Ankita Murder: Family Seeks Noose For Culprits, CM Assures Action

By LokMarg

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday spoke to the father of Ankita Bhandari, who was murdered in Rishikesh, and assured him of justice in the case.

“I had spoken to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami over the phone. He has given full assurance that justice will be served in my daughter’s case,” said Ankita’s father.

He further stressed on capital punishment for the culprits and said, “We demanded that the culprits be given capital punishment. CM Dhami has also talked about giving full cooperation from the police and administration in the whole matter,” Virendra Bhandari added.

The family members also agreed with the constitution of SIT in the case.

The Uttarakhand Chief Minister slammed the opposition tactics over the matter and stressed a fast-track approach in the case.

“I have asked that probe be done in fast track court for swift justice to Ankita Bhandari. The accused have been arrested, strictest action taken. STF was also formed. The opposition raising matter only for political reasons, action taken is just as per legal process,” said CM Dhami.

Earlier, the Uttarakhand Police probing the horrific Ankita Bhandari murder case said Tuesday that the SIT had recovered two vehicles allegedly used in the crime from a resort where Ankita worked in Rishikesh.

DIG P Renuka Devi said the SIT will now record the statements of the women employees of the Vantara Resort, owned by the main accused Pulkit Arya, son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya.

“We are analysing all the evidence. A post-mortem report has been received. We will record the statements of women who worked at the resort. Two motorcycles used in the crime have been found. We will apply for police custody of the accused for interrogation, including Ishita, in the resort of the main accused Pulkit Arya,” the DIG told ANI.

The body of Ankita Bhandari, 19, was recovered from the Chilla Canal in Rishikesh on September 24. “It has been found from the CCTV footage that these two vehicles were used by the accused for going to Chilla barrage and coming back,” the DIG said.

The murder case sparked massive outrage and protests were reported from various parts of the state. Angry locals even set on fire the resort where Ankita worked. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami then ordered officials to ensure law and order in the state. (ANI)

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