Got to know about traditional caves being built by Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) near Kedarnath Shrine. According to the news reports, the caves project will take into account Uttarakhand hills' house architecture and will aim to provide peaceful environment to Dhyana (meditation) centric tourists. One of the caves built so far has space for one single bed.

The state will charge a certain fee from those who want to be part of this Meditation experiment.

Why it is an experiment? Because the first cave which has been build in rupees 8 Lakh, is part of Prime Minister's experiment, which he floated during his last month visit to the Kedarnath shrine.

Any idea which is executed that fast is an experiment. More so when serious concerns are being raised by credible environmental experts about the negative impact of increasing human intervention on fragile (in Hindi, "Nazuk") Himalayan ecosystem.

To conclude, Uttarakhand is doing everything which credible environmental experts are cautioning it against. Not only roads, but traditional narrow earthen, stone pathways leading up to the shrines and upper reaches of Himalayas are being broadened.

It is time to rethink about Uttarakhand's revenue model because religious tourism, timber and water are NOT helping the state.

Why not bring some credible environmental experts from Uttarakhand on table and; request them to use their decades' long real research to create an extensive and exhaustive growth model for the state!

It can be the way forward.

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