Click it and Unblock the Notifications
The Valley of Flowers is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its lush meadows and over 300 species of alpine flowers. Until now, visitors had to undertake a long and arduous trek of around 12 km from Ghangharia, the base point for the trek, to reach the valley. With the opening of the new road, this distance will be significantly reduced to about 5 km, according to officials.
Pilgrimage to Hemkund Sahib to Become Easier
Similarly, the journey to the revered Sikh shrine of Hemkund Sahib, which also begins from Ghangharia, will be shortened to around 8 km from the current 15 km. Hemkund Sahib is a sacred pilgrimage site for Sikhs, situated at a height of 15,000 feet near an ice-bound lake. Each year, more than 2 lakh pilgrims visit the gurdwara, braving the challenging trek through snow-clad mountains. The new road is expected to provide a much-needed respite to the pilgrims and make the holy site more accessible to the elderly and physically challenged.
The shorter routes to the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib are expected to give a major boost to the tourism industry in Uttarakhand. With easier access to these popular destinations, more tourists and pilgrims are likely to visit the region, contributing to the growth of the local economy. Furthermore, the new road is expected to create job opportunities for the locals in the hospitality and tourism sectors, enhancing the overall development of the area.
