Express News Service
DEHRADUN: For the first time in the history of Chardham Yatra, VIP pilgrims will have to pay an additional fee of Rs 300 for darshan at Kedarnath and Badrinath Dham.
After studying the ‘puja system’ and darshan arrangements at four major temples of the country – Tirupati Balaji, Vaishno Devi, Mahakaleshwar and Somnath temples, the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has decided to implement the fee system for VIP devotees in the Chardham Yatra. Apart from this, a trident made of ashtadhatu weighing 100 kg will be installed in the Kedarnath temple.
On Monday, a board meeting was held at the Canal Road office under the chairmanship of BKTC President Ajendra Ajay, in which many important decisions were taken regarding the Yatra arrangements of Kedarnath and Badrinath Dham. The meeting passed a budget of Rs 76.26 crore for the upcoming financial year 2023-24. Apart from this, an action plan for Chardham Yatra was also approved.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, BKTC chairman Ajendra Ajay said, “This fee will be charged only from VIP pilgrims. The timings and lines of common pilgrims will not be affected. After studying the operating system in other pilgrimage sites of the country, this decision has turned out to be relatively
better for Uttarakhand and according to the consensus that has been reached after consultation with experts and public representatives, this decision has been taken”.
Defining VIP devotees, Badri Kedar Temple Committee CEO Yogendra Singh told this newspaper, “Under the protocol, any person who falls in the category of VIP or special persons and is defined as such by their institution will be considered a VIP by BKTC”.
According to CEO Singh, “As per the protocol, BKTC personnel will take care of visiting the temples and distribution of prasad etc. to the VIPs coming for darshan. This will not create chaos in the name of the VIP facility. So far, police, administration, BKTC etc. handle darshan arrangements in their own way to
make VIPs visit”.
“Whatever donations or offerings the devotees make for the temple, the salaried priests and staff of BKTC will not accept it”, Singh said, adding, “The staff associated with the puja system will motivate the devotees to put donations in the donation box.” “Otherwise action will be taken against the employees.
Transparent arrangements will be made for counting donations in temples. For this, transparent glass huts will be built in both the dhams. Which will be equipped with CCTV cameras,” said Singh.