More than nine lakh pilgrims have registered for this year’s Char Dham pilgrimage, which will begin with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri on April 19. The state government is expecting record footfall this season, with an average of over 30,000 devotees registering each day.
According to information shared by the state tourism department, more than 9.1 lakh devotees have registered to visit the Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri shrines this season. Data from the department show that over 30,000 pilgrims have been registering daily since the process began on March 6.
In addition, the region’s largest tourism operating body, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), has received advance bookings worth nearly ₹5 crore for its guest houses.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed confidence in ensuring a safe and hassle-free pilgrimage for all devotees visiting the Char Dham shrines in the state.
“Given the state’s geographical conditions, the pilgrimage here is challenging. However, the safety of devotees will be our top priority. It is our responsibility to ensure that all pilgrims coming to Devbhoomi Uttarakhand complete their darshan without any difficulty,” Dhami said.
Dhami added that pilgrims will be provided advance disaster warnings, weather forecasts, and alerts with minimal margin of error.
“Prior to the commencement of the Yatra, officials will personally visit the routes to inspect and verify the arrangements. So far, no instructions have been issued to cap the number of devotees visiting temples during the Char Dham Yatra under normal circumstances,” the Chief Minister said, seeking to allay concerns amid speculation that the administration might limit pilgrim numbers this season.
Dhami further noted that despite repeated natural disasters in high-altitude areas last year, which disrupted the pilgrimage for over a month, more than 5.1 million devotees successfully completed their visits.
He added that this year, the state government’s priority is to ensure that no pilgrim faces inconvenience while visiting the four shrines and other parts of the state.