First ATM installed at more than 11000 feet above sea level at Kedarnath

The Uttarakhand chief minister of the double engine government Trivendra Singh Rawat has today inaugurated the ATM service at the historic Kedarnath Shrine precincts at more than 11000 ft altitude, after it was washed away in the massive ecological disaster of June 15. This is the only ATM in the entire Kedarnath valley.

Thanks to the untiring efforts and dedicated commitment of Uttarakhand government for having taken the pains to finally to get the ATM installed at the ancient Kedarnath Shrine after protracted five years, where more than two lakh pilgrims and tourists visit every season to pay their revered obeisance to Baba Kedarnath in His historic shrine established centuries ago.

Even the prime minister Narendra Modi visited this Kedarnath about four to five times after the dreaded ecological disaster for paying obeisance to Lord Shiva at Kedarnath and also directed the state government to expeditiously carry out the reconstruction work in the Kedarnath Dham precincts.

A massive budget was also allocated for the complete facelift of this historic shrine.

If we measure the approximate number of visitors at this historic shrine taking an average of one lakh visitors every season, the figure would come to more than five lakhs.  One can imagine how much inconvenience the visiting pilgrims were confronting in the absence of an ATM. The earlier available ATM was washed away in the heavy deluge on June 15/ 16 2013 that killed thousands of pilgrims from all over India who’d converged for Lord Kedar’s darshan.

We remember the news of this ATM being damaged due to the high-velocity tides and currents and of the deluge of the Chora baari lake also known as Gandhi Sarovar in June 2013.

On the day of this deluge and afterward, wads of notes were seen floating far away in the river which was finally picked up by some Sadhus who tried to siphon them off clandestinely but were caught carrying the wads of notes collected by them floating in the water.

Finally, the government of Uttarakhand realized this inconvenience to pilgrims and opened the only ATM at Kedarnath Shrine. The chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat jubilantly inaugurated it. Better late than never, after more than five years in 2019 we have the ATM again after it was washed away in 2013.

In a tweet, today along with the pictures of inauguration of this new ATM the chief minister Trivendra Singh proudly tweeted: Harsh ka vishay hai ki Kedarnath Dham mein pehla ATM aaj se shuru ho gaya hai. @ HDFC _Bank dwara sthapit ATM se shradhaluon ko badi raahat milegi. 2013 ki aapda mein Kedarnath mein maujud ATM bah gaya tha.

Matter of pleasure to announce that a first ATM has been installed at Kedarnath shrine. The HDFC ATM will be of immense help to pilgrims. In 2013’s disaster the Kedarnath ATM washed away in the deluge.