For followers of Neem Karoli Baba, June 15 is a red-letter day. That is when the world-famous Kainchi Dham in Nainital district holds its foundation-day (Sthapana Diwas) fair, and lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad are expected to turn up for darshan. To handle a crowd of that size, the administration has prepared well in advance — and if you are planning the trip, there is one thing to know before you leave home: the arrangements this year are different from before.
No Private Vehicle to the Temple — Shuttles Only
The biggest change is that no devotee will be allowed to drive a private vehicle straight up to the Kainchi Dham temple. Everyone must first park at a designated lot and then board a shuttle from there to reach the shrine. To enforce this, Nainital police have put a special traffic and security arrangement in place from June 13 to 16.
Under the traffic plan drawn up on the directions of SSP Nainital Dr. Manjunath T.C., special shuttle and bus services will run from Haldwani, Kathgodam, Bhimtal, Nainital and Ramnagar. The fleet is sizeable — around 250 buses of the Kumaon Motors Owners Union (KEMU) have been put on shuttle duty, while roughly 100 extra buses have been arranged from the Haldwani and Kathgodam roadways depots. In all, about 350 buses will be on fair duty, and all of them have been told to reach their assigned shuttle points by June 14.
Shuttle Fares Fixed to Stop Overcharging
So that no one exploits the crowd to charge as they please, the administration has fixed the fare for each route in advance to keep the system transparent. Police have made it clear that devotees will be ferried to the shrine from the parking lots only by authorised shuttles. According to the published list, the fares are as follows —
- Haldwani to Kainchi Dham: Rs 150 per person, one way
- Nainital to Kainchi Dham and Bhimtal to Kainchi Dham: Rs 100 per person
- Bhawali to Kainchi Dham and Khairna to Kainchi Dham: Rs 50 per person
The administration has appealed to people to use only authorised shuttles, and to immediately inform the police or the concerned officials if anyone demands more than the fixed fare.
Bhawali–Kainchi Dham Stretch Turns Zero Zone
Nainital Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vivek Rai said that to keep traffic flowing smoothly, the Kainchi-Bhawali road has been declared a zero zone on June 14 and 15. On these two days, the movement of private and ordinary passenger vehicles on this road will be completely barred. Only ambulances, police, fire-service and other emergency vehicles will be allowed through. The administration believes this will keep crowds under control in the shrine area and let devotees move about safely.
Over 1,500 Personnel on Security Duty
Security too has been tightened this time. More than 1,500 police officers and personnel will be deployed at the fair. Alongside them, teams from the PAC, SSB, SDRF, ATS, the bomb-disposal squad and the fire department will be on the ground. Additional forces will be posted at sensitive spots, and special control rooms have also been set up to deal with any untoward incident.
Ban on Drones and Roadside Stalls
Flying drones in the Kainchi Dham area has also been prohibited. Anyone caught flying a drone without permission on June 14 and 15 will face strict action — prior permission for drone operation has been made mandatory. In addition, food vans, temporary stalls and bhandaras (community kitchens) along the roadside have been banned on the Bhawali–Kainchi Dham, Bhawali–Bhimtal and Bhawali–Nainital routes, so that traffic is not disrupted and emergency services keep moving.
Private ambulances will be specially checked as well. Police will verify their documents, permits and medical equipment to ensure that no private vehicle misuses the system under the guise of an ambulance.
Diversions for Those Heading Into the Hills
Almora police have also issued a four-day diversion plan from June 13 to 16. Vehicles coming from the direction of Bageshwar, Garud and Someshwar will be routed from Sikuda Band via Lamgada to Haldwani. Vehicles arriving from Pithoragarh, Sheraghat, Berinag and Gangolihat will be diverted from the Badechhina-Suwakhan junction, again via Lamgada, towards Haldwani.
Transport Department's Arrangements
The transport department has made its own special arrangements for fair duty. According to RTO (administration) Dr. Gurdev Singh, 77 officers and staff, including five ARTOs, from the Haldwani division have been assigned to the fair's logistics. The roadways management has also cancelled the leave of the drivers concerned on June 14 and 15. So, if you are planning to visit Kainchi Dham on June 15, the advice is simple: check the traffic plan before setting off, park your private vehicle at a designated lot, and travel to the temple only by shuttle.
