Char Dham Yatra To Begin From September 18, Says Uttarakhand CM

Mumbai: 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.

While allowing the Chardham Yatra, the high court said that pilgrims wishing to visit the holy sites should be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and will have to produce mandatory coronavirus negative reports for the pilgrimage.

The HC asked the pilgrims and locals to strictly follow the COVID-19 protocol and maintain social distance and wear masks. The court has also banned the number of devotees coming to Kedarnath Dham, Badrinath Dham, Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham.

According to the order of the High Court, only 800 devotees will be allowed in Kedarnath Dham, 1200 in Badrinath Dham, 600 in Gangotri and 400 in Yamunotri Dham in a day. The bench passed the order after the Uttarakhand government moved the court to start the Chardham Yatra on September 8.

The Tourism Department of the state will issue a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in this regard on Friday.

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.

The Char Dham Yatra attracts lakhs of tourists and devotees every year from across the country and abroad. The four pilgrimage sites in Uttarakhand which are part of the yatra are Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and like us on Facebook for the latest updates and interesting stories.