Pilgrim Relief Gets Funding Boost

Himachal industrialist Mehinder Sharma has donated ₹1.01 crore (approximately $121,000) to support infrastructure and pilgrim facilities at the revered shrines of Badrinath Temple and Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand.

The contribution was formally handed over at Badrinath Dham to Hemant Dwivedi, chairman of the Char Dham Yatra Samiti, officials said on Saturday.

Sharma said the funds would be used to strengthen basic amenities within the temple complexes, with a focus on expanding government-supported facilities for the growing number of pilgrims. The move is aimed at reducing reliance on private services, which often raise the overall cost of pilgrimage.

Dwivedi welcomed the contribution, calling it a “significant step” toward improving the pilgrim experience. He added that such philanthropic efforts could encourage more industrialists to support religious infrastructure while ensuring services remain affordable.

Sharma, chairman and managing director of ANS Construction Pvt. Ltd., has a long record of contributions to religious causes. In 2018, he donated about ₹3 crore (roughly $360,000) for silver cladding work inside the sanctum of Kedarnath Temple.

His other contributions include ₹1 crore (around $120,000) to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to fund weekly langar services at the Vaishno Devi Temple complex from July 2024 to October 2030. The initiative is expected to facilitate about 325 langars during this period.

In 2020, Sharma also donated ₹1 crore (approximately $120,000) for the construction of a Durga Bhawan at the shrine complex to expand accommodation for pilgrims. Additionally, he contributed around ₹3 crore (about $360,000) toward silver cladding at Chintpurni Temple.

ANS Construction Pvt. Ltd., the company he leads, operates across real estate, infrastructure and hospitality sectors and has been associated with several projects of national importance.

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