On May 10, the doors of Yamunotri and Gangotri Dham were opened, followed by the opening of the portals of the Badrinath shrine on May 12.
The 2024 Char Dham Yatra commenced as the Kedarnath temple opened on the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya on May 1. The ceremony involved the chanting of bhajans and ‘Har Har Mahadev’ at the revered Lord Shiva shrine. Devotees in queues were also showered with flowers from helicopters.
On May 10, the doors of Yamunotri and Gangotri Dham were opened, followed by the opening of the portals of the Badrinath shrine on May 12.
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Officials stated that online registration for the annual pilgrimage to the four holy shrines of Uttarakhand began last month on the tourism department’s portal.
Each year, thousands of devotees visit these sacred sites, closed for about six months during the winter. The yatra typically starts from April/May to October/November.
Fresh guidelines on the Yatra
With the arrival of a large number of devotees to Gangotri and Yamunotri for the Char Dham Yatra, the Uttarakhand police issued a set of guidelines on Thursday, urging devotees not to embark on their journey without prior registration or before the designated registration date.
Uttarkashi superintendent of police Arpan Yaduvanshi said in a post on X, “Urging all devotees coming to Gangotri and Yamunotri to register themselves before coming. Also, do not plan your travel before the registration date.”
The Rudraprayag Police had earlier launched ‘Operation Maryada’ to ensure that people maintain decency on their journey. As part of this operation, the police are cracking down on individuals who engage in misconduct or consume alcohol or drugs in the areas surrounding the holy sites and along the pilgrimage route.
The police team has urged the crowds to conduct themselves in a respectful manner to uphold the sanctity of the pilgrimage.
Guptkashi Deputy Superintendent of Police Harshvardhini Suman told ANI, “Rudraprayag Police is committed to the smooth and safe journey of the devotees coming for the popular Shri Kedarnath Dham Yatra in the district. Operation Maryada has been started by the district police for effective action against those who behave indecently and consume intoxicants in the Dham area and the Yatra halts.”
Uttarakhand Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar wrote a letter to the Director Generals of Police across states in the country. Kumar said to ANI, “In view of the unexpected crowd at the Char Dhams, I have written a letter to the Director Generals of Police of all the states of the country and requested them not to send any VIP from their respective states for the Char Dham Darshan till May 31.”
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Relevance
The Char Dham Yatra is a deeply spiritual pilgrimage in Hinduism.
This pilgrimage, known as the Char Dham Yatra, includes a tour of four sacred sites — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. In Hindi, “char” means four, and “dham” denotes religious destinations, according to the Uttarakhand tourism’s official website.
