Char Dham Yatra begins, daily cap on number of pilgrims lifted

The Char Dham Yatra began on Saturday, April 16, on the auspicious day of Akshay Tritiya in Uttarakhand, with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announcing that the yatra will begin from Yamunotri Dham. The daily cap on the number of pilgrims for the Char Dham Yatra has been lifted on the Chief Minister's orders.

However, to maintain a record of the devotees, both online and offline registration will remain the same. According to the Uttarakhand Tourist Development Council, over 2.50 lakh pilgrims have registered for the Char Dham Yatra this year. Out of this number, 1.39 lakh individuals have registered to visit the Kedarnath Dham and 1.14 lakh have registered to visit the Badrinath Dham.

The Char Dham comprises four religious places - Kedarnath, Yamunotri, Gangotri and Badrinath, which are visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. The portals of the Gangotri Dham opened on Saturday, while the portals of the Kedarnath Dham and the Badrinath Dham will open on April 25 and April 27, respectively.

The yatra was halted last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year, with the proper precautions and protocols in place, it has been allowed to proceed.