Nainital HC stops 'Char Dham Yatra' till Aug 18; CM cites Vedas to rule out live streaming

Considering the surge in COVID-19 cases across the country along with the onset of the possible third wave, The Nainital High Court on Wednesday, July 28, banned the pious 'Char Dham Yatra,' till August 18. On the other hand, the High Court strongly censured the Uttarakhand government for not following COVID containment protocols at tourist destinations in the state.

High Court rebukes state call 

Notably, taking note of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Uttrakhand government this year had only allowed Chardham Yatra for residents of the three districts of the state, including Chamoli, Rudraprayag, and Uttarkashi.

Earlier on June 25, the State Cabinet had decided to partially open the Char Dham yatra for locals in limited numbers from July 1. Then on June 28, the High Court had stayed the State Cabinet's decision permitting Char Dham Yatra with a limited number of pilgrims and also ordered live streaming of Char Dham shrines. Later on July 8, the Uttarakhand High Court extended the stay on the Char Dham Yatra till July 28.

Court allows live streaming of rituals, CM refutes

Interestingly, the court allowed live streaming of the rituals at the four shrines to which the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami refuted to do so, stating that such a practice does not find any mention in the 'Vedas'. CM Dhami had said, “After taking into account all the suggestions, we have decided not to hold live streaming of Chardham Yatra as it is not written in the Vedas.”

An official of the Char Dham Devasthanam Board had added, “Considering the religious beliefs and conventions associated with Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, the board has unanimously decided not to allow live-streaming of the ceremonies from the holy shrines.”

The Char Dham Yatra, which includes a visit to the Kedarnath Temple, attracts lakhs of tourists and devotees every year from across the country and abroad. The four pilgrimage sites in the state are Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri. are They are situated in the Garhwal region, and lakhs of devotees visit these shrines every year during the Char Dham Yatra, which starts in April and ends in November.

With only 43 new cases in the last 24 hours, the number of active cases in Uttarakhand currently stands at 659. The Cabinet in the meantime has decided that the monsoon session of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly will be held from August 23 to August 27.