Char Dham Yatra: Lose weight before you board helicopter for Kedarnath, OTHERWISE…

Helicopter service operators for the Kedarnath yatra will now charge a premium of Rs 150 per kg if a passenger weighs more than 80 kilograms.

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With a drop in COVID-19 cases, tourists have started heading out for the Kedarnath yatra. The temple remains one of the holiest shrines for the Hindus and is located in the Rudra Himalaya Range at an elevation of 12000 feet in Uttarakhand, India. It is accessible by either a trek of 18 km or via helicopter ride. While a large chunk of visitors uses the former route, the latter mode of access is busy too. In case you plan to take a chopper ride to Kedarnath temple, you better weigh less than 80 kilograms. In a new guideline, it has been announced that travellers weighing over 80 kilos will have to pay Rs 150 per kg as an additional charge.

In fact, those tipping the scale at over 120 kilograms will have to pay the double fare. Also, the chopper service providers will consider the weight of individual passengers, and it will not be offset with another passenger even if travelling together. A total of 2 kgs of baggage is allowed to be carried along on the flight.

Talking of helicopter services, various companies are offering them, namely Pawan Hans, Pinnacle Air, Heritage Aviation and more. They offer service for one-sided travel or a round trip. Pilgrims can opt to board helicopters from a host of locations - Phata, Sersi, Sitapur, Guptkashi, Dehradun and Delhi.

The fare for the ride remains in the range of Rs 6500-8000 for a round trip per person. However, it does fluctuate as per demand and footfall. For the one-way journey, companies charge in the range of Rs 3,000-3,500.