This policy explains what personal data Shiv Ganga Travels collects when you use shivgangatravels.com or book a yatra with us, why we collect it, who else sees it, and how to get it deleted. It is written to be read rather than to be impressive. If anything here is unclear, call us on +91-7817996730 and ask.
We collect your name, phone number and trip details when you enquire, plus anonymous analytics about how the site is used. For Char Dham bookings we also handle your Aadhaar, because the Uttarakhand government requires it for yatra registration. We do not sell your data to anybody, we have no advertising trackers, and we do not take card payments on this website.
1. Who we are
Shiv Ganga Travels is a travel agency registered in Uttarakhand, operating since 2010 and based at Saptrishi Road, Near Shantikunj Gate No. 1, Bhupatwala, Haridwar, Uttarakhand 249410, India. For the purposes of India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, we are the Data Fiduciary for the personal data described below. Contact: support@shivgangatravels.com · +91-7817996730.
2. What we collect
Information you give us directly. When you submit an enquiry form, use the site search, or tap a WhatsApp or call button, we record your name and phone number where you have provided them, along with the page you were on, the package you were looking at, and any message you typed. If you go on to book, we additionally collect the names, ages and contact details of everyone travelling, plus any medical or dietary information you choose to tell us so we can plan the trip safely.
Government ID for yatra registration. The Uttarakhand government requires every Char Dham pilgrim to complete biometric registration, and our packages include handling that for you. Doing so means we collect and submit your Aadhaar number and details to the official registration system. Section 4 below explains exactly how we treat it.
Information collected automatically. Like most websites we use Google Analytics 4, which records pages viewed, approximate location derived from IP address, device and browser type, and how you arrived at the site. This is aggregate traffic data — we use it to see which guides people actually read, not to identify you.
Chat assistant. The site has an AI assistant that answers questions about routes, costs and packages. What you type into it is sent to Anthropic's API to generate a reply. Do not type Aadhaar numbers, card details or anything else sensitive into the chat window — it is built for questions about the yatra, nothing more.
3. What we do not collect
- No card numbers, CVVs, UPI PINs or net-banking credentials. This website does not process payments. Balances are settled directly with us by bank transfer, UPI, cash or card in person.
- No accounts or passwords. There is nothing to log into.
- No advertising or retargeting pixels. There is no Meta pixel, no ad network tag, and we do not build profiles for advertising.
- No database of visitors. The site has no database at all by design — enquiries go to a spreadsheet we control, and nothing else is stored server-side.
4. Aadhaar and yatra registration — how we handle it
This deserves its own section because it is the most sensitive data we touch.
- We collect Aadhaar details only from pilgrims who have booked with us, and only for the purpose of completing the mandatory Char Dham registration on the official Uttarakhand portal.
- We do not use it for anything else, and we never share it with hotels, transport partners or any other third party.
- We ask you to send it over WhatsApp or bring it to the office. Once registration is complete and your registration slip is issued, we delete the copies we hold.
- We do not store Aadhaar numbers in our enquiry spreadsheet or anywhere on this website.
- If you would rather complete the registration yourself, you can — tell us and we will send you the portal link and instructions instead. It is your data and it is genuinely your choice.
5. Why we use your data
- To answer your enquiry and send you a quote.
- To make the bookings your trip requires — hotels, vehicles, helicopter seats, registration.
- To reach you before and during the yatra, including in an emergency on the route.
- To keep the accounting and tax records Indian law requires us to keep.
- To understand which pages of the site are useful, in aggregate.
We do not send marketing messages to people who merely enquired and did not book. If you have travelled with us we may occasionally message you about the coming season — reply STOP and it ends there.
6. Who else sees your data
We do not sell personal data. We share it in only two situations: with the service providers that make the website and the trip work, and where the law requires it.
| Who | What they receive | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Google (Analytics) | Anonymous usage data, IP-derived location | Site traffic measurement |
| Google (Sheets / Apps Script) | Enquiry name, phone, page, message | Where our enquiry list lives |
| Vercel | Server logs, IP addresses | Website hosting |
| Anthropic | Text you type into the chat assistant | Generating the chat reply |
| Meta / WhatsApp | Your number and message, if you tap WhatsApp | You are messaging us on their platform |
| Hotels, transport and helicopter operators | Traveller names, ages, contact | Making your actual bookings |
| Uttarakhand government portal | Aadhaar and traveller details | Mandatory yatra registration |
Some of these providers process data on servers outside India. We will also disclose data if a court, the police or a government authority lawfully requires it.
7. How long we keep it
- Enquiries that did not become bookings — up to 24 months, then deleted.
- Booking and payment records — 8 years, because Indian tax law requires it.
- Aadhaar copies — deleted as soon as registration is confirmed.
- Analytics — retained by Google on our account's standard schedule; it is not linked to your identity.
8. Your rights
Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 you can ask us to show you the personal data we hold about you, correct anything wrong, delete it where we are not legally required to keep it, withdraw consent you previously gave, or nominate somebody to exercise these rights if you cannot. Email support@shivgangatravels.com or call +91-7817996730. We will respond within 30 days, and there is no charge.
9. Grievance officer
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, raise it with our grievance officer before going further:
Founder & Director, Shiv Ganga Travels
Saptrishi Road, Near Shantikunj Gate No. 1, Bhupatwala, Haridwar, Uttarakhand 249410
support@shivgangatravels.com · +91-7817996730
Acknowledged within 72 hours, resolved within 30 days.
10. Cookies
This site sets Google Analytics cookies to measure traffic, and nothing else. There are no advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. You can block cookies in your browser settings and the site will still work normally — nothing on shivgangatravels.com depends on them.
11. Children
We do not knowingly collect data directly from anyone under 18. Children do travel with us on family yatras, and in those cases their details come from a parent or guardian as part of the booking.
12. Security, honestly stated
We take reasonable precautions: access to the enquiry sheet is limited to our own staff, the site runs over HTTPS, and we do not keep documents longer than we need. We are a small family operator, not a bank, and it would be dishonest to claim more than that. Please do not send us card details or passwords over WhatsApp or email — we will never ask for them.
13. Changes to this policy
If we change how we handle data we will update this page and change the effective date at the top. Material changes affecting people who have already booked will be told to them directly.