Char Dham Highway

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting an exhibition during the launch of the Char Dham Rajmarg Vikas Pariyojana, at Dehradun, Uttarakhand The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi visiting an exhibition during the launch of the Char Dham Rajmarg Vikas Pariyojna, at Dehradun, Uttarakhand.jpg
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting an exhibition during the launch of the Char Dham Rajmarg Vikas Pariyojana, at Dehradun, Uttarakhand

Char Dham National Highway
Route information
Maintained by National Highways Authority of India
Length889 km (552 mi)
Major junctions
North end Mana
South end Rishikesh
Location
Country India
States Uttarakhand
Major cities Rishikesh, Dharasu, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Rudraprayag, Gaurikund, Kedarnath, Joshimath, Badrinath, Mana [1]
Highway system
National Highways

Char Dham National Highway, is an under construction two-lane (in each direction) 889 km long National Highway with a minimum width of 10 metres in the Indian state of Uttarakhand under Char Dham Pariyojana. The under construction highway will complement the under-construction Char Dham Railway by connecting the four holy places in Uttarakhand states namely Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The project includes 889 km national highways which will connect the whole of Uttarakhand state. [2] [3] It will connect Delhi–Dehradun Expressway on its southern end to India-China Border Roads on its northern ends.

Contents

Development

The total cost of ₹12,000 crores and the foundation stone of the project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 December 2016 at Parade Ground in Dehradun. The highway will be called Char Dham Mahamarg (Char Dham Highway) and the highway construction project will be called as Char Dham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojana (Char Dham Highway Development Project) and is made to improve the connectivity to the Chota Char Dham nestled in the Himalayas. [2] [3] [4] [5] Road will include several long bridges and tunnels to eliminate accident and slide prone areas. Indian Railways and National Highways Authority of India have been directed, by the Cabinet Secretary of India, to ensure that rail and road highway routes are integrated on this circuit. [6]

Route alignment

Originating from Rishikesh, Char Dham highway network will have 5 distinct routes, [6]

From west to east and south to north:

Facilities

The project will have bypasses, bridges, viaducts, pit stops, parking, helipads and helicopter emergency response services, etc. along the way. [12]

Status updates

See also

Related Research Articles

The Chota Char Dham is an important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal region of the state of Uttarakhand, the circuit consists of four sites—Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. Badrinath is also one of the four destinations of the longer Char Dham from which the Chota Char Dham likely draws its name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudraprayag</span> City in Uttarakhand, India

Rudraprayag is a city and a municipality in Rudraprayag district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Rudraprayag is one of the Panch Prayag of Alaknanda River, the point of confluence of rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini. Kedarnath, a Hindu holy city is located 86 km from Rudraprayag. The man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag hunted and written about by Jim Corbett dwelled here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindu pilgrimage sites in India</span>

In Hinduism, the yatra (pilgrimage) to the tirthas has special significance for earning the punya needed to attain the moksha (salvation) by performing the darśana, the parikrama (circumambulation), the yajna, the Dhyana, the puja (worship), the prarthana, the dakshina, the seva, the bhandara, etc. These sacred places are usually located on the banks of sacred waters, such as sacred rivers or their tributaries, the kundas, the ghats, or the stepwells, or the temple tanks.

<i>Yatra</i> Pilgrimage in Indian religions

Yātrā, in Indian-origin religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, sacred mountains, places associated with Hindu epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and other sacred pilgrimage sites. Visiting a sacred place is believed by the pilgrim to purify the self and bring one closer to the divine. The journey itself is as important as the destination, and the hardships of travel serve as an act of devotion in themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Highway 58 (India, old numbering)</span> Old numbering of road in India

This article is about the old number of Delhi-Meerut-Roorkee-Haridwar-Badrinath National Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Char Dham</span> Four major Hindu pilgrimage sites in India

The Char Dham, also rendered the Chatur Dhama is a set of four pilgrimage sites in India. Since the establishment of the Char Dham temples, visiting these sites has become a path to achieve moksha. The four Dhams are Badrinath, Dwarka, Jagannath and Rameswaram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panch Kedar</span> Group of five Shiva temples in Uttarakhand, India

Panch Kedar, rendered Pancha Kedara in Sanskrit, refers to five Hindu temples or holy places of the Shaivite sect dedicated to god Shiva. They are located in the Garhwal Himalayan region in Uttarakhand, India. They are the subject of many legends that directly link their creation to Pandavas, the heroes of the Indian epic Mahabharata.

Ghansali is located in Ghansali Tehsil of Tehri Garhwal district in Uttarakhand, India. Ghansali town offers a splendid beauty of Bhilangana River on one side and dense forest at other. According to the 2011 census it has a population of 392 living in 82 households. Its main agriculture product is paddy growing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yamunotri Temple</span> Hindu Temple in Uttarakhand, India

Yamunotri Temple is situated in the western region of Garhwal Himalayas at an altitude of 3,291 metres (10,797 ft) in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. It's just 129 km from Uttarkashi, the main district headquarters. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna, and has a black marble idol of the goddess. The Yamunotri temple is a full day's journey from Uttarakhand's main towns — Uttarkashi, Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehradun.

Uttarakhand is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" due to its religious significance and numerous Hindu temples and pilgrimage sites found throughout the state. As a result, religious tourism forms a major portion of the tourism in the state. Uttarakhand is known for the natural environment of the Himalayas. 2019 Tourist Arrivals Domestic – 40,000,000 per/year and Foreigner – 150,000 per year. Tourism business in Uttarakhand generated ₹ 23,000 crores during 2013–14.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Highway 7 (India)</span> National highway in India

National Highway 7 is a highway connecting Fazilka (Punjab) to Mana (Uttarakhand) in India. It passes through the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

The Char Dham Railway, the Indian Railways's under construction twin railway lines under Char Dham Pariyojana project by connecting the holiest places of Hinduism called Chota Char Dham, from the existing Doiwala railway station near Dehradun to Gangotri and Yamunotri via a fork at Uttarkashi and another set of twin rail links from the upcoming railway station at Karnaprayag to Kedarnath and Badrinath via a fork at Saikot. The line is also of strategic military importance and has been designated a national project.

Saikot is a village in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state in India. Situated on the banks of Alaknanda River, it is a proposed y-forked railway junction on Chota Char Dham Railway for two different railways going to Kedarnath and Badrinath.

Sonprayag is a village in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state in India. Approx. 73 Kilometres from Rudraprayag Town, the district headquarter. Situated on the banks of river Mandakini River, it is a proposed Y-forked railway junction on Chota Char Dham Railway for two different railways going to Kedarnath and Badrinath.

The Doiwala–Dehradun–Uttarkashi–Maneri Gangotri Railway, notified as the project of national strategic importance, is Indian Railways's one of the four constituent routes of the proposed Char Dham Railway connecting the holiest Chota Char Dham of Hinduism. This 131 km route starts from the existing Doiwala station near Dehradun and will terminate at Maneri close to Gangotri.

The Uttarkashi–Palar Yamunotri Railway, notified as the project of national strategic importance, is Indian Railways's one of the four constituent routes of the proposed Char Dham Railway connecting the holiest Chota Char Dham of Hinduism. This 22 km route starts from Uttarkashi and ends at Palar near Yamunotri.

The Karnaprayag–Saikot–Sonprayag Kedarnath Railway, notified as the project of national strategic importance, is Indian Railways's one of the four constituent routes of the proposed Char Dham Railway connecting the holiest Chota Char Dham of Hinduism. This 99 km route starts from Karnaprayag and ends at Sonprayag 13 km before Kedarnath.

The Saikot–Joshimath Badrinath Railway, notified as the project of national strategic importance, is Indian Railways's one of the four constituent routes of the proposed Char Dham Railway connecting the holiest Chota Char Dham of Hinduism. This 75 km route starts at Saikot and ends at Joshimath 46 km before Badrinath.

The Rishikesh–Karnaprayag line is an under-construction railway line, which will run from Yog Nagari Rishikesh railway station in Rishikesh to Karnaprayag. It is Indian Railways' proposed route for the Char Dham Railway to connect the Char Dham pilgrimage of Uttarakhand. The line is also part of an Indian geostrategic initiative to build infrastructure along the India-China border to discourage Chinese expansion. The project is considered to be of national strategic importance and is being tracked on the Central Government’s PRAGATI portal. When ready, it will help improve connectivity to the Char Dham shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand.

The Uttarakhand Chardham Devasthanam Management Act, 2019 was enacted by the Government of Uttarakhand in December 2019. It aims at bringing the Chota Char Dham of Badrinath Temple, Kedarnath Temple, Gangotri Temple, Yamunotri Temple and 49 other temples under the purview of a proposed shrine board.

References

  1. ↑ "Work on KMP Expressway to start soon". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 Chardham highway project: PM Modi lays foundation stone in Dehradun
  3. 1 2 PM to Lay Foundation Stone of ‘Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna’
  4. ↑ PM Modi lays foundation stone for 900-km highway network
  5. ↑ Uttarakhand: PM Modi to lay foundation stone of Chardham Mahamarg
  6. 1 2 Safer, smoother, shorter Char Dham Yatra, Times of India, 3-Sept-2014
  7. 1 2 3 4 Char Dham Yatra 2019: How to reach, where to stay and its significance for devotees, financialexpress.com, April 2019.
  8. ↑ 采编 (26 November 2005). "中印边境自卫反击作战史". 中国国防资讯网. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved 26 November 2005.
  9. 1 2 Achilles Heel in India's Border Defence with China!, Indian Defence Review, 20 June 2017.
  10. ↑ After 24 years of work, strategic military outpost near India-China border connected with motorable road, Times of India, 11 Nov 2016.
  11. 1 2 Uttarakhand: 6-km tunnel to be built between Bundi, Garbyang on way to India-China border, The Print, 23 May 2023.
  12. 1 2 "PM Modi lays foundation for Rs 12,000-crore Char Dham highway project, Economic Times, 27-Dec-2016". Archived from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  13. ↑ Centre's 'Chardham' highway project under NGT scanner, Economic Times, 4-May-2017
  14. ↑ 601 km of Char Dham Yatra highways complete., Infra.com, 27 july 2023.
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