Uttarakhand reopens ancient Gartang Gali bridge for tourists after 59 years
By Sanjay Maurya
News Highlights
- The old wooden bridge Gartang Gali, located at a height of 11000 feet in Uttarkashi district, is now open to tourists.
- The Gartang Gali in Uttarkashi was closed to tourists after the 1962 Indo-China war.
- The reopening of the bridge gives a new dimension to the state’s adventure tourism activities.
Uttarakhand reopens ancient Gartang Gali bridge for tourists after 59 years
The old wooden bridge Gartang Gali, located at a height of 11000 feet in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district, is now open to tourists. The Uttarakhand government has authorized the Gartang Gali trek to tourists; it is 500-meter stairs located near the Indo-China border.
The wooden bridge was constructed traditionally, by cutting a single rock. When standing on the bridge, one may take in amazing views of the Nelong Valley as well as the flora and fauna that surround it. According to reports, the district government will only allow ten tourists to cross the bridge at a time, in adherence with the Corona restrictions.
After the 1962 Indo-China war, the Gartang Gali in Uttarkashi, which was built 150 years ago by Pathans from Peshawar, was closed for tourists. The Centre had banned visitor travel in the inner line area of Uttarkashi after the 1962 Indo-China war.
The Ministry of Home Affairs provided clearance for tourist attractions including Jadung and Nelang Ghati to open in 2015, but the wooden bridge remained inaccessible for the entire time due to its dilapidated condition. The bridge, which was built for trade with Tibet before independence, was used to transport wool, leather clothing, and salt to Badahat.
The reopening of the Gartang Gali trek, according to Uttarakhand Tourist Minister Satpal Maharaj, will give a new dimension to the state’s adventure tourism activities. He went on to say that this ancient bridge has historical and strategic significance in Uttarakhand’s past and that it reflects the country’s long-standing coordinated trade relations with its neighbors.
In addition, Uttarakhand Tourism Secretary Dilip Jawalkar stated that the opening of Gartang Gali is in line with the state’s strategy to encourage rural tourism by providing better expedition facilities and creating jobs in the surrounding areas.
The repair and renovation of the bridge began in September last year and was completed in July this year, according to Uttarkashi district magistrate Mayur Dixit. Given the extreme weather and high-velocity winds, renovating this bridge at such a height was extremely difficult. While working on the bridge, the laborers were bound by safety ropes.
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