The Chief Minister's Office of Uttarakhand on 10 June 2026 highlighted how religious and spiritual sites across the state have undergone unprecedented development over the past 12 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami crediting central projects for placing Uttarakhand among the world's leading spiritual tourism destinations.

Context

The post, issued in Hindi, quotes CM Dhami as saying: 'Pradhanmantri Shri Narendra Modi ke netritva mein Uttarakhand ki adhyatmik aur sanskritik virasat ko nayi pehchaan mili hai' ('Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttarakhand's spiritual and cultural heritage has received a new identity'). The statement points to a cluster of flagship projects — the Kedarnath-Badrinath Dham Redevelopment Project, the Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission, ropeway approvals, and the Char Dham All Weather Road — as the pillars of this transformation. The CMO frames these not merely as infrastructure upgrades but as a strategic push to brand Devbhoomi ('land of the gods') on a global stage.

Policy Backdrop

The redevelopment story traces its origins to the catastrophic 2013 Kedarnath floods, which devastated the shrine town and surrounding areas. The post notes that Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat, showed early interest in the reconstruction of Kedarnath Dham — and after becoming Prime Minister in 2014, the central government launched a full-scale redevelopment project, which PM Modi has reviewed in person on multiple visits. The result, according to the CMO, is a modernised Kedarpuri that preserves the shrine's sanctity while offering contemporary amenities to pilgrims.

At Badrinath, a master plan is underway to develop the town as a 'smart spiritual mountain city,' with various projects worth approximately Rs 255 crore in progress. The Char Dham All Weather Road has meanwhile improved year-round connectivity to all four pilgrimage sites, boosting both footfall and the local economy. The central government has also approved ropeway projects for Kedarnath Dham and Hemkund Sahib: a 12.9-kilometre ropeway from Sonprayag to Kedarnath at an estimated cost of approximately Rs 4,081 crore, and a 12.4-kilometre ropeway from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib at approximately Rs 2,730 crore.

Stakeholders and Impact

The CMO statement specifically highlights the benefit to elderly pilgrims, women, and differently-abled devotees, for whom the proposed ropeways would make the high-altitude journeys significantly safer and more accessible. Beyond pilgrims, border-district communities stand to gain from the global visibility generated by PM Modi's visit to Adi Kailash in Pithoragarh district, which the post describes as a 'historic occasion' that drew national and international attention to frontier areas and opened new avenues for employment and development. The Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission extends this logic to the Kumaon division, linking ancient temples with tourism infrastructure, improved roads, and modern facilities.

Work is also under way on the development of a Yamuna Tirtha site in the Haripur Kalsi area, which the CMO says will add a new dimension to religious faith, cultural heritage, and tourism activities associated with the Yamuna river. Taken together, these projects represent a multi-corridor approach to spiritual tourism across both the Garhwal and Kumaon regions.

What's Next

The CMO statement closes with a forward commitment: 'Our government is continuously working to develop Uttarakhand as a leading spiritual and cultural tourism centre of the world.' The immediate milestones to watch are the progress of the Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib ropeway projects — both of which have received central approval — and further phases of the Badrinath master plan. As pilgrim numbers continue to rise, the state's ability to deliver on these infrastructure promises will determine whether Uttarakhand can sustain its positioning as a premier global spiritual destination.