Chardham Yatra to begin from September 18, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami announces

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday announced that Chardham Yatra will start from 18 September. This come a day after the Nainital High Court lifted the ban on Chardham Yatra and ordered the authorities to aggressively enforce COVID-appropriate behaviour during the pilgrimage.

Chardham Yatra will begin from 18 September: Uttarakhand CM

According to the Nainital High Court's order, pilgrims must carry a negative COVID-19 screening test and a certificate of complete vaccination if they are coming from outside Uttarakhand. According to the Nainital High Court, only 800 pilgrims will be allowed in Kedarnath Dham, 1200 will be allowed to enter Badrinath Dham, 600 will be allowed to enter Gangotri, and 400 will be allowed to pay visit at Yamunotri Dham in a day.

The High Court had also ordered that a police force be sent to guarantee that the yatra runs well, and that police teams be stationed in the districts of Chamoli, Rudraprayag, and Uttarkashi. The court also stated that worshippers were not permitted to enter the waters of any sacred tanks to take bath.

Uttarakhand HC lifts ban on Chardham Yatra

Earlier, several Char Dham pilgrims and priests had paid a visit to the Chief Minister at his residence, requesting that he consider easing the prohibition on the yatra. According to the priests, the cancellation of the yatra has left thousands of people without jobs because their livelihoods depend on it. Small businesses in the vicinity of pilgrimage sites have remained closed because of this, preventing the local economy from expanding.

The state high court announced earlier this month that it could not lift the prohibition on pilgrimage because the case was still at the Supreme Court. For a long time, the state government has been attempting to secure the necessary approvals, which they received on Thursday.

(With ANI inputs)

(Image: ANI/@Pushkar_Dhami-Twitter)