A 12.9 km ropeway project from Sonprayag to Kedarnath and a 12.4 km ropeway project from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ji, both in Uttarakhand, have been approved.
Two ropeway projects in Uttarakhand, India, have been approved today by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in India. These ropeways will greatly reduce the travel time between the destinations.
One of them is a A 12.9 km ropeway project from Sonprayag to Kedarnath (12.9 km) and the other is a 12.4 km ropeway project from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ji, both in the Uttarakhand state.
This information was provided by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Govt. of India, in two separate reports today on 5 March 2025.
The 12.9 km planned ropeway project from Sonprayag to Kedarnath
This ropeway is planned to be implemented through the most advanced Tri-cable Detachable Gondola (3S) technology with a design capacity of 1,800 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD). It can carry 18,000 passengers per day.
This ropeway project, when implemented and opened to public, will be very useful to travellers or pilgrims visiting Kedarnath, as it will provide a more faster and efficient means of travel, along with poviding better comfort to the travellers. This planned ropeway will reduce the travel time in one direction from something which is now around 8 to 9 hours today to about just 36 minutes.
Kedarnath Temple is a very important pilgrimage site in India and currently, getting there is a challenging 16-kilometre uphill trek from Gaurikund, which is either done on foot by walking or by using ponies, palanquins or a helicopter. The proposed ropeway aims to provide a more convenient means for visiting Kedarnath Temple and also to ensure an all-weather connectivity between Sonprayag and Kedarnath.
12.4 km planned ropeway project from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ji
This ropeway is planned to be implemented using a Monocable Detachable Gondola (MDG) from Govindghat to Ghangaria (10.55 km), which is planned to be seamlessly integrated with the most advanced Tricable Detachable Gondola (3S) technology from Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib Ji (1.85 km), with a design capacity of 1,100 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD). It can carry 11,000 passengers per day.
Hemkund Sahib Ji is a highly revered pilgrimage site which is at an elevation of 15,000 ft in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state. The Gurudwara at the holy site is open for around 5 months between the months of May and September every year and around 1.5 to 2 lakh pilgrims visit it annually.
The trek to Hemkund Sahib Ji is also a gateway to the famous Valley of Flowers, a national park that is a UNESCO World Heritage site in the spectacular mountain ranges of Garhwal Himalayas.
Currently, the journey to the Hemkund Sahib Ji is a challenging 21-kilometre uphill trek from Govindghat and is either made on foot by walking or on ponies or palanquins. The proposed ropeway aims for better convenience for the travellers visiting both Hemkund Sahib Ji and the Valley of Flowers. It also aims to provide an all-weather last-mile connectivity between Govindghat and Hemkund Sahib Ji.
After it is implemented and opened for public, this 12.4 km Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ji ropeway will drastically reduce travel time from 3 days to 3 hours, enhancing accessibility to the revered shrine as well as the World Heritage Valley of Flowers.
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Both these upcoming ropeway projects that will provide the means of travelling through cable cars or gondola lifts, are expected to generate substantial employment opportunities in tourism industries such as hospitality, travel, food and beverages, and also for round-the-year tourism in those regions.
- Cabinet approves development of Ropeway Project from Sonprayag to Kedarnath (12.9 km) in Uttarakhand under National Ropeways Development Programme – Parvatmala Pariyojana - Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, on PIB. Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 3:06PM by PIB Delhi.
- Cabinet approves development of ropeway project from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ji (12.4 km) in Uttarakhand under National Ropeways Development Programme – Parvatmala Pariyojana - Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, on PIB. Posted On: 05 MAR 2025 3:06PM by PIB Delhi.