Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the second edition of Gaja Ghantakarn Mahotsav-2026 at Atal Utkrisht Rajkiya Inter College, Gaja, Tehri Garhwal on Wednesday, 27 May 2026, lighting the ceremonial lamp and announcing a sweeping package of infrastructure, education, health and tourism projects for the region.

Context

The Gaja Ghantakarn Mahotsav is an annual cultural and religious festival centred on the ancient Ghantakarn Mahadev Temple in Gaja, a remote hill town in Tehri Garhwal district. CM Dhami opened the event by offering prayers at the temple, seeking prosperity for the state and the nation, and paid floral tributes at the statue of Uttarakhand statehood movement martyr Belmati Chauhan. He praised cultural performances by schoolchildren and noted that the festival is 'niranter virat swaroop grahan kar raha hai' (continuously taking on a grander form).

Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal and Nagar Panchayat President Kunwar Singh Chauhan also addressed the gathering. Senior officials including District Magistrate Nitika Khandelwal and Senior Superintendent of Police Shweta Choubey were present alongside BJP district president Uday Rawat and several block-level representatives.

Policy Backdrop

The single most prominent announcement was a ropeway to Ghantakarn Mahadev Temple, which the CM said will promote religious tourism and provide better facilities to pilgrims. Since 2022, the Uttarakhand government has pursued multiple ropeway projects to pilgrimage sites as part of a broader push to make Himalayan shrines more accessible without straining fragile mountain roads.

On education, Dhami approved the addition of a Pharmacy course at Shaheed Vikram Singh Negi Government Polytechnic, Gaja, and announced the upgrade of Rajkiya Uchh Madhyamik Vidyalaya Singtali and Pajey Gaon to intermediate level, as well as the upgrade of Narendra Nagar College to postgraduate level. The Chaka Mahila Hospital is to be converted and upgraded to a Primary Health Centre (PHC), strengthening last-mile healthcare in the hills.

Tourism infrastructure announcements included the development of Koteshwar Lake, construction of an eco-park at Dandachali, and beautification of Pawaki Devi and Chamrada Devi (Bharpoor) temples. Motor road approvals were granted for Dandeli, Andarphigaon, Phalsari, Biman Gaon and the Ranakot Danda Jamola route.

Stakeholders and Impact

Residents of Nagar Panchayat Gaja stand to benefit from the expansion of the Gaja Maidan, construction of internal roads, and a new stage. The CM confirmed that a Nagar Panchayat office, gaushala, mini stadium, cricket hostel and several drinking water schemes have already been completed in the area, with several more in progress.

Critically, the approval of tehsil-level offices for the Public Works Department, Electricity Department, Jal Sansthan and Jal Nigam in Gaja Tehsil means residents will no longer need to travel to distant district headquarters for routine civic services. The sanctioned 33 KV sub-station at Gaja Bagid and a proposed lake on the Henwal River are expected to address power reliability and water management in the region.

Dhami framed the announcements within Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to give Uttarakhand global recognition, stating that the state government is continuously working to connect every individual to the development mainstream and provide youth with better education, employment and self-employment opportunities.

What's Next

The ropeway project, eco-park, and lake development proposals will require tendering and budget allocation, with timelines likely to emerge in the next state assembly session. The polytechnic pharmacy course approval and school upgrades are expected to move through administrative channels ahead of the next academic year. The Gaja Mahotsav's growing scale suggests it may be positioned as a flagship cultural-tourism event for Tehri Garhwal in coming years.