Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 21 Jul: State Minister for Tourism, Culture, Religious Affairs, Public Works, Irrigation, Panchayati Raj, Watershed, and Rural Construction, Satpal Maharaj, has called for Triyuginarayan, located in Rudraprayag district, to be officially declared a “Vedic Tourism Village”. Known as the sacred site of the divine wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, Triyuginarayan holds immense historical, mythological and spiritual significance, making it a prime destination for spiritually themed and traditional weddings.
During a departmental review meeting held at the Tourism Directorate in Garhi Cantt here, today, Minister Maharaj emphasised the need to form local youth groups along various tourism and trekking routes and provide them with campaign training. This would not only facilitate tourism but also generate local employment.
He instructed officials to expedite the merger process of GMVN and KMVN and to prepare a detailed master plan for the Kedarkhand Mandir Mala Mission, similar to the Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission. The minister also called for strict action against miscreants during the Kanwar Yatra and suggested including Kurud in the route of the Nanda Rajjat Yatra. Taking serious note of the poor condition of toilets along pilgrimage routes, he directed immediate modernisation and improvement in sanitation facilities.
Maharaj further instructed tourism officials to begin early preparations and publicity for the upcoming Winter Char Dham Yatra. Noting the poor condition of government tourist accommodations, he ordered urgent repairs and suggested that the Char Dham Yatra be nominated for entry into the Limca Book of Records. He also directed the installation of fast EV chargers at tourist guest houses in Kumaon division and called for a campaign to register illegally operating hotels and resorts in the state.
Addressing the media after the review meeting, Minister Satpal Maharaj stated that, for the year 2025–26, projects worth Rs 48,676.05 lakh have been approved in the tourism sector. He highlighted that in Mahasu Devta Temple (Hanol), out of a sanctioned amount of Rs 5,240.85 lakh, Rs 2,246.76 lakh is being used for the construction of VIP lounges, dharamshalas, yagya shalas, shops, and a pavilion. Under the Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission, 28 temples have been selected for development, with administrative approval of Rs 125.25 crore granted for 16 of them in the first phase. Of this, RS 51.14 crore has already been released, and work has begun on 6 temples.
Under the Kainchi Dham Campus Development Plan, projects worth RS 40.81 crore are progressing rapidly. Additionally, administrative approval of Rs 17.59 crore has been received under the Government of India’s “Challenge-Based Destination Development Scheme”. For various projects along the Nainital–Mukteshwar route, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has recommended central assistance of Rs 400 crore.
To promote destination weddings, the “Wed in Uttarakhand – 2025” project has been launched. As part of this, infrastructure and promotional activities are being planned at locations such as Thano (Dehradun), Tehri, Triyuginarayan, and Rishikesh.
Senior officials present at the review meeting included Tourism Secretary Dheeraj Singh Garbyal, Additional Secretary Dr Pooja Garbyal, GMVN Managing Director Vishal Mishra, BL Rana, Jagat Singh Chauhan, Poonam Chand, Yogendra Kumar Gangwar, Surendra Singh Samant, Amit Lohani, Vijay Singh Rana, Seema Nautiyal, and Utkarsh Chauhan.
