Chardham Yatra to start from September 18, Uttarakhand CM announces

Pushkar Singh Dhami. Image source: @pushkardhami (Twitter)

The Char Dham Yatra will begin from September 18, said Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The state government has started preparing for the yatra after the decision of the Nainital High Court to lift the ban on the pilgrimage, reported news agency ANI.

The Nainital High Court on September 16 lifted the ban on Char Dham Yatra and allowed only fully COVID vaccinated people with a mandatory COVID-19 negative report for the annual pilgrimage. The court ordered devotees to follow strict COVID-19 protocols and limited the number of visitors too.

The four pilgrimage sites in Uttarakhand which are part of the yatra are Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri.

Putting a daily cap on the number of devotees visiting the chardham, the high court said 800 pilgrims will be allowed in Kedarnath Dham, 1200 in Badrinath Dham, 600 in Gangotri and 400 in Yamunotri daily.

Pilgrims will not be allowed to take a bath in any of the springs around the temples, it said.

Police force will be deployed as per requirements during the Char Dham Yatra in Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts, reported Free Press Journal.

The Char Dham Yatra attracts lakhs of tourists and devotees every year from across the country and abroad.

Meanwhile, the Chief Secretary Dr SS Sandhu has also reviewed the preparations for Char Dham Yatra and has given necessary instructions by holding a meeting with the officials of various departments related to travel including Tourism and Devasthanam Management Board.

With ANI inputs