- विज्ञापन -
Garhwal: Garhwal Divisional Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey announced that the administration is almost fully prepared for the Char Dham Yatra and confirmed that there will be no limit on the number of devotees allowed to participate in the pilgrimage.
Pandey stated that the main focus of the preparations is on traffic management, ensuring access to clean drinking water, and providing sufficient parking facilities. “Our preparations are nearly complete, with particular emphasis on traffic arrangements, clean drinking water, and parking,” he explained. This year, the Yatra route has been divided into 10-km sectors, with officials using two-wheelers and walkie-talkies to monitor each sector. These sectors have also been organized into zones and super zones.
He mentioned that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has issued clear instructions to ensure that pilgrims experience no inconvenience. Currently, approximately 13.5 lakh people have registered online for the pilgrimage, with no cap on the number of participants.
The Commissioner also highlighted the administration’s commitment to making the Yatra environmentally friendly and maintaining cleanliness throughout the pilgrimage. “Prime Minister Modi has emphasized a ‘Green Yatra,’ urging pilgrims and field officers to respect the religious significance of the Dhams while keeping the routes free of garbage and discouraging environmentally harmful practices. Efforts are being made to raise awareness among people and provide alternatives,” Pandey remarked.
Furthermore, he noted that preparations for this year’s Yatra began immediately after the conclusion of last year’s pilgrimage. “Following the last Char Dham Yatra, the Chief Minister directed that preparations for this year begin. He holds daily meetings to discuss progress. I convened a meeting at the Yatra office in Rishikesh in February, and all district magistrates, superintendents of police, and department heads from the Garhwal division attended a meeting on April 5,” he shared.
In related news, a 30-member advance team from the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) arrived at Badrinath Dham yesterday to begin overseeing restoration and infrastructure arrangements in preparation for the annual pilgrimage. The doors of Badrinath Dham are set to open on May 4. The state government is actively preparing for the Char Dham Yatra, while the BKTC is continuously working on arrangements.
Currently, the weather in Badrinath Dham is clear, though some areas still show snow on the surrounding hills. The Char Dham pilgrimage, which includes four holy sites in Uttarakhand—Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath—attracts millions of devotees annually, typically commencing in April or May and continuing until November, depending on weather conditions.
