CM Dhami chairs crucial meet as U'khand gears up for Char Dham Yatra, issues instructions

In view of the upcoming Char Dham Yatra, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday instructed the concerned authorities to ensure necessary arrangements in time.

Uttarakhand gears up for Char Dham Yatra

The Chief Minister has asked the tourism department officials and police to convene a meeting with the district magistrates associated with the Yatra in order to finalise the necessary preparations. It should also be seen that the sentiments of the businessmen associated with the Yatra route are respected, he added. 

CM Dhami claimed that more devotees will visit the state this year in the upcoming Yatra, with this view it is necessary to make arrangements in advance. Here are the instructions given by Dhami to the officials in relation to the Char Dham Yatra. 

• Travel arrangements should be completed by April 15
• Along with the improvement of the roads of the Yatra route, an effective action plan on the arrangements related to the convenience of the passengers.
• To ensure that necessary arrangements for the upcoming Char Dham Yatra in anticipation of a heavy rush of devotees 
• The administration should be focused on creating a positive ambience for the Char Dham Yatra 

Earlier this month, the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council (UTDC) informed that more than 2.50 lakh devotees have registered for Char Dham Yatra so far. For Kedarnath Dham, 1.39 lakh registrations have been done. While, for Badrinath Dham, 1.14 lakh registrations have been made. The UTDC further stated that it would issue tokens for darshan during the Char Dham Yatra.

Notably, the doors of Kedarnath Dham will open on April 25 and Badrinath Dham on April 27. Meanwhile, the Gangotri Temple Committee on Wednesday announced that the temple doors would open for devotees from Akshaya Tritiya on April 22. The Rudraprayag district administration has started preparations for the Char Dham Yatra, informed officials.

"The district administration has started clearing the snow at the Kedarnath Dham and the pedestrian routes of Kedarnath," the officials had informed.

Char Dham Yatra 

It is pertinent to mention that the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand is one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimages in India. This pilgrimage is a tour of four holy sites - Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri - nestled high up in the Himalayas.
The high-altitude shrines remain shut for around six months every year, opening in summer (April or May) and closing with the onset of winter (October or November).  

During the Yatra, the Char Dham pilgrimage starts from Yamunotri, proceeds towards Gangotri, onto Kedarnath and finally ends at Badrinath. The journey can be completed by road or by air, since helicopter services are also available. Some devotees even do a Do Dham Yatra or a pilgrimage to the two most popular shrines - Kedarnath and Badrinath.