Silkyara Tunnel Breakthrough A Major Milestone In Char Dham All-Weather Road Project

Uttarakhand CM Dhami graced the Pran Pratistha event of Baba Baukhnag, whose temple has been reconstructed at the mouth of the tunnel after its damage.

Uttarkashi: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday attended the breakthrough ceremony of the Silkyara Tunnel at Uttarkashi and entered inside it. Following the event, he attended the consecration ceremony of Lord Baukhnag, whose temple was rebuilt following its damage in the tunnel construction.

In 2023, Dhami that the conclusion of the rescue operation to build a temple of the deity exactly where it stood originally at the mouth of the tunnel. The temple has been reconstructed at the mouth of the tunnel by the Silkyara Tunnel Construction Agency, where Dhami is attending the Pran Pratistha (consecration) ceremony.

"Hail Baba Baukhnag! I am departing from Dehradun to Silkyara for the consecration ceremony at Baba Baukhnag Ji's temple and the breakthrough event of the Silkyara Tunnel," Dhami posted on X.

जय बाबा बौखनाग !

बाबा बौखनाग जी के मंदिर में प्राण-प्रतिष्ठा एवं सिलक्यारा टनल के ब्रेक थ्रू कार्यक्रम के लिए देहरादून से सिलक्यारा के लिए रवाना हो रहा हूं। pic.twitter.com/OrL1qgtozl

— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) April 16, 2025

The Project

The Silkyara-Barkot tunnel is part of the ambitious Char Dham all-weather road project. The construction of the tunnel was tendered to Hyderabad-headquartered Navayuga Engineering Company by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), a fully-owned company of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. The Silkyaara tunnel is a two-lane and two-directional tunnel that will reduce the distance between Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham by 26 km, helping pilgrims of the Char Dham Yatra save time. The project cost is estimated at about Rs 853 crores.

LIVE: सिलक्यारा सुरंग के निकट नव-निर्मित बाबा बौखनाग मन्दिर में प्राण प्रतिष्ठा, सुरंग के ब्रेकथ्रू के अवसर पर आयोजित कार्यक्रम
https://t.co/OnMshxO8QH

— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) April 16, 2025

The construction of the Silkyara Tunnel will reduce the distance between Gangotri and Yamunotri by 26 km. The construction of the tunnel started in 2018-19 to connect Silkyara with Pol village on the Yamunotri Highway at an expense of Rs 853.79 crore. With the breakthrough of the 4.5-km-long two-lane Silkyara tunnel, the Char Dham all-weather road project will move one step forward.