India Matters: Sacred geography, scarred geography
Tourism and religious pilgrimage link the breath-taking landscapes of Garhwal to the rest of the nation. It was the sacred geography of these hills that drew tens of thousands of people to its shrines, especially to the four Dhams of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, turning the devastation of Uttarakhand into a national disaster - a disaster that hit every corner of the country. In the aftermath of the tragedy, we look at whether pilgrimages in fragile environments need greater control.
