Rs 86L for electrification of Chamunda temple track

Palampur, May 24

The state government on Tuesday released Rs 86 lakh to the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board for the electrification of the 3-km track leading to the Aadi Himani Chamunda Dham complex near Palampur in Kangra district.

Gokul Butail, Principal Adviser Information and Technology (Innovation), said that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had decided to develop the Aadi Himani Chamunda Dham as a religious tourism destination on the pattern of Mata Vaishno Devi temple. He said this was another step of the CM to make Kangra valley the tourism capital of the state. Sukhu is on a nine-day visit to Kangra these days.

Butail said, “The Aadi Himani Chamunda Dham located at an altitude of 10,500 feet above the sea level in the Dhauladhars is an ancient shrine. It has a vast tourism potential. The Ropeways and Rapid Transport System Development Corporation has approved a project for the temple,” he added.

He said that efforts would be made to launch a heli-taxi service to the temple and provide basic amenities such as drinking water, electricity and accommodation for pilgrims and tourists there. He said more employment avenues would be generated with the development of the area from the tourism point of view.

Butail said the government was developing tourism as industry. He said schemes such as homestays were being implemented to promote lesser-known destinations and boost rural tourism. “The state also has vast potential for adventure tourism such as paragliding, ski-driving, river-rafting and mountaineering, besides religious tourism,” he said.