Manimahesh heli-taxi service to cost a fortune

Naresh Thakur

Chamba, August 9

Though pilgrims undertaking the Manimahesh Yatra this year will have the option to fly from Chamba to Bharmour, the high fare for heli-taxi service has sparked a public debate.

The cost of one-way ticket from Chamba to Bharmour is a staggering Rs 25,000 per person, which is costlier than air ticket to some international destinations.

Fare likely to come down

If successful, the service can become a regular feature from next year, with a likely decrease in the fare. — Kulbir Singh Rana, Bharmour Officiating ADM

The Chamba-Bharmour Heli-Taxi service is being introduced for the first time during the Manimahesh Yatra and advance online booking is expected to open by August 12.

The fortnight-long pilgrimage officially begins on August 26, coinciding with Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, and concludes on September 11.

Costly travel

Chamba to Bharmour ~25,000

Bharmour to Gaurikund ~3,875

fare Per person

The significantly high fare has been attributed to helicopter companies’ concern over the viability of the route and potential losses. However, the fare for the commonly used route from Bharmour to Gaurikund, which is just 1 km from the sacred Manimahesh lake, has been lowered to Rs 3,875 per person.

This is a notable reduction from last year’s fare of Rs 4,500, providing some relief to the pilgrims who prefer heli-taxi.

Officiating Bharmour Additional District Magistrate and member secretary of Shri Manimahesh Yatra Trust, Kulbir Singh Rana stated that the administration had hired the services of two heli-taxi operators for the yatra. The one-way fare was decided after minimum bidding and negotiations.

“The operators had initially quoted even higher prices, ranging between Rs 35,000 and Rs 40,000, which was brought down after negotiations,” Rana said.

Rana explained that the operators’ primary concern was the financial viability of the route. As per the bid conditions, the operators were required to have two helicopters for the route — one flying pilgrims to their destinations and the other on standby. However, the operators deemed this requirement impractical, leading to a relaxation of the condition, allowing them to operate the same helicopter on the Chamba-Bharmour and Bharmour-Gaurikund routes.

“However, they were apprehensive about potential losses, thus the higher prices,” he added.

Rana said if successful this year, the service could become a regular feature from next year, with a likely decrease in the fare.

Rana also mentioned that advance online booking for the heli-taxi service is expected to start by August 12. Unlike the previous years, where advance booking was done on the company’s website, the Shri Manimahesh Yatra Trust has decided to conduct online booking through its official website this time. The site, however, is currently under maintenance. Seventy-five percent of the bookings will be available online, while remaining seats will be reserved as a daily quota for spot booking.

Each year, lakhs of pilgrims from Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and other parts of the country trek to Manimahesh to catch a glimpse of Mount Kailash, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva.

The Yatra begins on Janmashtami and concludes on Radha Ashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna’s divine consort Radha.

The challenging 13-km trek starts from the Hadsar base camp, situated approximately 6,000 feet above sea level, and passes through steep hills and sprawling glaciers before concluding at Manimahesh Lake, situated at an altitude of 13,500 feet.