The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), on Wednesday approved the construction of a 12.9 km ropeway project connecting Sonprayag to Kedarnath in Uttarakhand. The project will be developed under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) model at an estimated capital cost of Rs. 4,081.28 crore.
Kedarnath, one of the 12 sacred Jyotirlingas, is located at an altitude of 3,583 meters (11,968 feet) in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. The Kedarnath Temple is open to pilgrims for 6 to 7 months annually, from Akshaya Tritiya (April-May) to Diwali (October-November), attracting around 20 lakh pilgrims each season.
The ropeway, to be built in a public-private partnership, will feature the latest Tri-cable Detachable Gondola (3S) technology, offering a design capacity of 1,800 passengers per hour in each direction. The system is expected to carry up to 18,000 passengers daily, significantly improving the travel experience for the millions of pilgrims visiting Kedarnath each year.
Currently, the journey to Kedarnath involves a challenging 16-km uphill trek from Gaurikund, with pilgrims relying on foot travel, ponies, palanquins, or helicopters to reach the temple. The new ropeway will drastically reduce travel time from around 8 to 9 hours to just 36 minutes, offering an environment-friendly, comfortable, and efficient mode of transport. This will greatly enhance the pilgrimage experience, ensuring all-weather connectivity between Sonprayag and Kedarnath.
