Introduction
Kedarnath Temple is located at an altitude of 3583 meters above sea level. This temple is a part of Panch Kedar, Do Dham, Char Dham, and 12 Jyotirlingas. It is a dream destination for most of us. Every year, millions of pilgrims visit this place to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. Not only for the pilgrimage, this temple is also famous as a tourist destination as it is located in a very pristine location.
But the biggest challenge in doing the Kedarnath Yatra is that it involves 16 km of trekking. It makes this location inaccessible for most elderly people. But to facilitate this, the government had provided various facilities like helicopter services, Kandi, Palquin (palki), Pitthu, or Horse (mules). You can book your helicopter services on the IRCTC website with the link https://heliyatra.irctc.co.in/. To know more about the process of booking helicopter services for Kedarnath, you can read our blog on this.
If you don't get helicopter services, you don't need to worry. You can avail of other services like Kandi, which is also known as pitthu, Horse, or palquin. These services can be availed of from the starting point of the yatra, i.e., Gaurikund, or from anywhere en route to Kedarnath temple. There are many booking counters available at Gaurikund or other places enroute from where you can book these services.
Before talking about the prices of these services, let's discuss some of the frequently asked questions about them.
Q1) Can I book Horse, Palki, or Kandi (Pitthu) online?
No, there are no options to book these services online. You can book these at the offline counters present at Gaurikund, Lincholi, or Rambara. You can also book these services directly from the service providers.
Q2) Can I book Horse, Palki, or Kandi (Pitthu) after trekking for a few kilometers?
Certainly, you can book these services anywhere en route to Kedarnath Temple. Both offline booking counters and local service providers are available on the route from whom you can avail of these services.
Q3) What are the points one should take care of while booking these services?
Here are a few pro tips you can use to protect yourself from any kind of fraud and paying extra.
Always try to book Kandi, Mules (Horse), or Palki from the government-authorized booking counters, as they will provide you with these services at government rates that are generally much lower than what local vendors offer.
Before taking any services, check the I-card of the service provider and send it to your family and friends.
If you are dealing with the local service provider directly, then you have to use your bargaining power; otherwise, you may end up paying an extra amount.
Q4) Can I book Horse, Palquin, or Kandi (Pitthu) for both sides?
Certainly, you can do so, but it's not recommended. The best option is to book one-way service at one time; it will be the best option from the perspective of expense and security.
Kedarnath Horse Rate from Gaurikund / Sonprayag 2024
From
|
To
|
Price
|
Distance
|
Sonprayag
|
Kedarnath
|
2500
|
21 Km
|
Gaurikund
|
Kedarnath
|
2300
|
16 Km
|
Kedarnath
|
Gaurikund
|
1500
|
16 Km
|
Kedarnath
|
Sonprayag
|
1700
|
21 Km
|
Kedarnath Kandi (Pitthu) Rate from Gaurikund / Sonprayag 2024
From
|
To
|
Distance
|
Upto 25 Kgs
|
Upto 50 Kgs
|
Gaurikund
|
Kedarnath
|
16 km
|
INR 4900
|
INR 8800
|
Kedarnath
|
Gaurikund
|
16 KM
|
-
|
-
|
Kedarnath Dandi (Palki) rates from Gaurikund
From
|
To
|
Distance
|
Upto 75 Kg
|
Upto 90 Kg
|
Gaurikund
|
Kedarnath
|
16 km
|
-
|
INR 8000
|
Gaurikund
|
Kedarnath and same day return
|
32 km
|
-
|
INR 7400
|
Gaurikund
|
Kedarnath and next day return
|
36 km
|
INR 10400
|
INR 11400
|