Himalayan Heli

Chardham Yatra 2023 – Helicopter Tours

By : Himalayan Heli / February 26, 2024December 4, 2024

Faith has played a role in the physical, mental and emotional development of people for years now. When it comes to Hinduism, a religion most fulfilling, and centred around acceptance, growth, and spiritual wellness, the Chardham Yatra has always been considered a sacred ritual; a passage to salvation. Chardham is not just a pilgrimage; it’s a transformative journey of faith, devotion, and self-discovery. It is believed, according to mythology, that every Hindu must complete the Chardham pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime to help wash away all sins and to free the spirit from the plight of reincarnation.

In the beautiful northern state of Uttarakhand, another smaller circuit of temples worshipped are known as ‘Chota Chardham’ or ‘Mini Chardham’, a journey which follows four integral points of the yatra, all of which play their individual, significant roles, and are advised to be visited by every devout Hindu. The four sacred sites are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.

Chardham Yatra 2021 & 2022 – Helicopter Tours & Shuttle services in Uttarakhand.

By : Himalayan Heli / February 3, 2022December 4, 2024

In Hindu religion, there is an affirmation where they say “nothing can be more pious and religious than taking your parents to Chardham Yatra”. These four pious pilgrimage sites of Hindus are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath, which are located in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand. This holy journey starts from Yamunotri and ends at Badrinath for about 10 days or less, depending on the mode of transportation.

These holy shrines are open from around May to October. To be precise, the opening dates of the Chardham shrines are decided as per following:

Yamunotri: Opens on the day of Akshay Tritiya every year.

Gangotri: Opens on the day of Akshay Tritiya every year.

Kedarnath: Opening date is announced by the temple authorities on Maha Shivratri every year.

Badrinath: Opening date is announced by the temple authorities on Basant Panchmi every year.

However, things have drastically changed since the Pandemic. Around April 2021, the time when our country was suffering from the second COVID wave, the State government was ordered by the High Court to keep the Chardham Yatra closed for the pilgrims.
It was finally opened for the public around Mid-September 2021, with tight travel restrictions initially.

Mata Vaishno Devi- A destination guide to India’s favourite pilgrimage via Helicopter

By : Himalayan Heli / September 17, 2021September 17, 2021

Misty Mountain views, clouds floating, the abundance of nature, and people cheering “Zor se bolo – Jai Mata Di” all around, pretty much sums up the aura and vibes of one of the most popular and holiest pilgrimages of our times – Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine.

Popular the world over as the mother who fulfills whatever Her children wish for, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji resides in a Holy Cave located in the foothills of the Trikuta Mountains in Jammu and Kashmir. Every year there are lakhs of people visiting this holy place in the Jammu’s Reasi district near Katra to offer prayers to Mata Vaishno Devi.

The shrine is considered the holiest sojourn and is among the 108 Shakti Peethas. Shri Mata Vaishno is the incarnation of Goddess Durga, believed to be an abode of the goddess, the holy cave is located at an altitude of 5,200 feet above sea level.

Amarnath Yatra Cancelled for the 2nd Consecutive Year due to COVID

By : Himalayan Heli / August 21, 2021August 21, 2021

“Har Har Mahadev” all around, temple bells, highly energetic devotees, panoramic views of snow-capped mountains & icy cold winds describes Amarnath Yatra.

A journey that is on the bucket list of almost every Shiva Bhakt. Situated at an altitude of 3,888 meters, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the holy Indian Shrine- Amarnath Cave is visited by Indians in abundance every year in July/August.

Amarnath Cave is a Hindu Pilgrimage where a Shivlinga appears naturally in the form of ice, holds significant religious importance, and is considered as the holiest shrine by Hindus all over the world. Legend has it that the Amarnath Yatra was undertaken by Lord Shiva himself along with Goddess Parvati, where Shiva narrated the immortality lessons to Parvati.

Discover Valley of Flowers in an Exclusive Same Day Heli-Tour with Himalayan Heli

By : Himalayan Heli / August 12, 2021August 25, 2021

Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Valley of Flowers trek is one of India’s most popular treks in the Himalayan Region of Uttarakhand state, which is also one of India’s oldest known treks. It is situated at a height of 3600 m above sea level.

It is a moderate level trek with slightly longer trekking days and steep trails to Hemkund Sahib, which is not only famous among Indians, but it’s on the bucket list of foreigners as well.

Valley of Flowers National Park is believed to have been accidentally discovered in 1931, by 3 Britishers who lost their way. It is spread across 87 sq km in the Chamoli District and forms one of the two core zones (the other being the Nanda Devi National Park) of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.

Himalayan Heli: Pioneers in Helicopter Underslung External Load Operations in India

By : Himalayan Heli / July 31, 2021August 2, 2021

Thanks to the advancement in technology and air transport services by helicopters that the transportation of cargo has become possible almost at every place. External Load Operations (ELO), by definition, means- the process of lifting underslung loads by helicopters and transporting them to the areas which are inaccessible otherwise.

In a country like ours, Cargo transportation by air has mostly been associated with relief work, military transportation, rescue operations, etc. However, in recent times, Helicopters have started getting recognition for being used for External Load Operations. These services are gradually becoming popular in India, unlike foreign nations where the demand and applications of ELO services are vast, however, this is expected to multiply here shortly as this is one of the most useful utilities of helicopters globally.

In India, where power supply and infrastructure is still present at very inferior levels (or even non-existent) in remote destinations, the application of helicopters can greatly be explored to easily reach out to these regions and construct infrastructure facilities & powerlines for faster development.

Aerial LiDAR Surveys by Helicopters: The Most Cost-Efficient Solution for Covering Data, Wider & Faster

By : Himalayan Heli / July 21, 2021July 22, 2021

One of the most sought-after services in recent times, LiDAR- Light Detection & Ranging, is a remote sensing method used to examine the surface of the earth. It’s touted as one of the most accurate & effective technologies for the creation of 3-Dimensional topographical aerial maps.

Since the demand for LiDAR services has gone up for capturing geodata, the use of Helicopters has significantly increased for this service. Why Helicopters? You see, Helicopters can access areas that are not possible to reach otherwise. Moreover, they can hover over an area under inspection & capture the required data from different angles & perspectives, which can help in acquiring higher resolution imagery, covering a much wider area from the air in a much shorter time than it would be possible to cover by land. Also, helicopters are much more manoeuvrable in high winds and high altitudes than UAVs (drones), and most importantly they can equip and fly LiDAR equipment which is currently not possible with UAVs.

Now, for over two decades, Himalayan Heli has been operating Aerial work service s in India for important Government Organisations and leading private giants. After providing a vast range of reliable & dedicated heli-services for so long, we are touted as India’s leading helicopter company in the Aerial work industry, which is one of our primary segments of heli-services.

Chardham Yatra by Himalayan Heli: COVID Safety at It’s Best

By : Himalayan Heli / June 29, 2021August 6, 2021

Nestled in the lap of mesmerizing Himalayas, in the Indian state- Uttarakhand, Char Dham holds a significant spot in the hearts of Indian Hindu devotees. Char Dham is a pilgrimage circuit, located in the Garhwal region in Uttarakhand, which includes 4 sites to be covered to complete the circuit- Yamunotri Dham, Gangotri Dham, Kedarnath Dham, and Badrinath Dham. It is believed that, if you are seeking moksha and salvation by washing away your sins, Char Dham is a must-do Yatra at least once in your lifetime.

Completing the Char Dham Circuit is very challenging. It requires one to cover approx. 1000 km from Dehradun via road and 37 km of the trek over the period of 10-12 days, which requires a lot of time, stamina, preparation, and more than anything- willpower.

The major constraint that one has to face while Char Dham via road is “The road” itself. As in, it’s a very bumpy ride & a significant portion of the whole stretch is under construction. Mountain Roads can be tricky; hence it demands extra precautionary measures to be taken.

Whereas, it’s not the case in Heli Tours. Rather, it’s the opposite. While flying, one can enjoy the mesmerizing aerial views of the mountains.

Highest Footfall in Four Decades! Shri Kedarnath Ji Yatra 2018- Crosses 7 Lakh Mark

By : Himalayan Heli / December 21, 2018July 21, 2021

Over seven lakh pilgrims have visited the Kedarnath Dham during 2018, this is the highest footfall to the holy shrine in almost four decades as per the state government officials. This is the highest number of pilgrims ever recorded since the time data of pilgirms is available with the government authorities. As stated by a government official, the records of pilgrims have been kept since 1981.

Earlier, the highest number of tourists visiting the shrine was recorded in 2012, where 5.83 lakh pilgrims came to Kedarnath. The increase in yatri numbers since the tragedy of 2013 can be attributed to the availability of better facilities by government authorities in the present day. Many yatri conveniences have been created, and are still being created for future betterment. All of government’s initiatives greatly help the helicopter operators as well for smooth running of operations.
Continue reading “Highest Footfall in Four Decades! Shri Kedarnath Ji Yatra 2018- Crosses 7 Lakh Mark”

Directors’ Interview: BizAvIndia Aviation Magazine April’17.

By : Himalayan Heli / January 2, 2018August 11, 2021

An interview of our directors Mr. Harsh Vardhan Sharma and Mr. Wangchuk Shamshu was featured in the latest BizAv India magazine in the April ’17 issue. They share the story of Himalayan Heli Services and their view on how the non-scheduled aviation market has grown and how the new National Civil Aviation Policy-NCAP has impacted us and the helicopter sector.

Continue reading “Directors’ Interview: BizAvIndia Aviation Magazine April’17.”