Chariot fest may miss north Indian tourists

BHUBANESWAR: In the wake of the devastating flood in Uttarakhand there may be a slump in tourist inflow to the state during the upcoming car festival, Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) officials said on Thursday.
Puri being one of the four destinations of Char Dham Yatra, one of the major Hindu pilgrimages, thousands of tourists visit the holy city during the famous annual car festival.
"We apprehend that the number of tourists from north India may reduce because of the devastating flood in Uttarakhand. Generally, pilgrims come to Puri as part of their Char Dham Yatra covering Badrinath, Dwarka, Jagannath Puri and Rameswaram. Since the yatra has been disrupted because of the catastrophic floods in Uttarakhand, it may affect the flow of tourists," said Manoranjan Patnaik, managing director of OTDC.
Sources said, during the 10-day Ratha Yatra festival, about five to six lakh religious tourists from across the country visit the holy city of Puri to witness the grand procession. However, of the 30% of the total tourists are from other states, a majority of them belong to neighbouring states, including West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand. "This year, the number may reduce by one or two lakh," Patnaik added.
The OTDC has also announced Ratha Yatra tour packages from Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Sambalpur for the special occasion.