Kainchi Dham footfall crosses 6,000 as Hanuman Ansh team prays

The team of Hanuman Ansh made a quiet pilgrimage to Kainchi Dham in Nainital, even as the ashram drew crowds that local reports describe as a fresh high. Lead actor Shobhinav Satya offered prayers at the shrine of Baba Neeb Karori Maharaj and joined the Aarti along with the rest of the unit.

This was more than a routine promotional stop. The visit landed in the middle of a surge that has sent daily footfall past 6,000 on some days, compared with an earlier estimate of 4,000 to 5,000. Weekend numbers have been put at 15,000 to 20,000 or more.

A star’s thanks and a ‘super-duper hit’

After the prayers, Shobhinav described reaching the threshold of Baba Neeb Karori Maharaj as a special experience. He also thanked audiences for the theatre run, calling the film a "super-duper hit" and crediting viewers’ support for the milestone. The film, reportedly made on a budget of around Rs 2 crore, has travelled far beyond its initial expectations.

Shobhinav tied the visit to Uttarakhand’s wider spiritual pull, naming Kainchi Dham alongside the Char Dham sites of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri as a centre of faith for millions.

The director’s appeal: check before you travel

Around the same time, director Dr Vishal Chaturvedi shared a video message on Instagram on Sunday evening, asking devotees to be careful about making the trip. He did not blame the film alone, but he did ask visitors to act on current conditions rather than social media momentum.

people should visit there only after knowing the present conditions.

He also suggested Neem Karoli village and Vrindavan as alternatives for those who cannot reach Kainchi Dham, and asked devotees not to create situations "where women and children feel suffocated or get stuck in traffic jams."

Why the roads are jamming

The crowd began building around the long weekend, with October 2 a government holiday followed by Saturday and Sunday. Traffic from Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab added pressure on the Haldwani-Kainchi Dham route and the roads towards Nainital and Almora.

If you are planning a darshan, a short check can change the day:

• Look up the latest traffic and crowd updates before leaving.
• Consider Neem Karoli village or Vrindavan if the ashram is packed.
• Avoid travelling with children or elderly family members during peak traffic.

Kainchi Dham remains what it has been since 1964: a spiritual ashram and Hanuman temple founded by Neem Karoli Baba. The challenge now is reaching it with devotion, not with a traffic jam.

Source: India Today