An Empirical Growth Study of the Char Dham Yatra

Abstract

The Peak of the Garhwal Himalaya of the world is well-known for its assorted landscapes, highly sacred pilgrimages, river valleys, mesmerising scenic beauty, and lash green forest cover. Pilgrimage tourism is a key font of socio-economic enlargement of Uttarakhand state. Pilgrimage tourism generates about 40 per cent of the total revenue of the state. It is evident that, though pilgrimage tourism has a route to positive effect through revenue generation, it has another side of the coin: environmental degradation. Pilgrims are the key of financial resources as well as job opportunities. The Char Dham yatra is a spiritual journey made by Hindus to four sacred sites located in the Garhwal Himalayas. This pilgrimage yatra is a clockwise direction tour starting from Yamunotri and ending at Badrinath and it starts from the holy town of Haridwar. It is the largest pilgrimage circuit in Uttarakhand state. This paper focuses on the tourists’ satisfaction survey, popularly known as sentiment analysis in the Char Dham yatra. Here, we have discussed neglected, preventive and corrective measures for these pilgrim sites. We have collected the reviews given by the tourists about their perception in the Char Dham Yatra from a popular tour operator entrepreneur named “Trip Advisor”. The paper also assesses the health care issues of pilgrims in India through the Char Dham religious circuit.