Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], April 16 : Char Dham Yatra 2025, set to begin on April 30 with Akshaya Tritiya, has seen over 17 lakhs devotees register to take part in the yatra, according to the Uttarakhand government.
"So far, a total of 17,76,058 people have registered for the journey. The Char Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand is starting on the 30th of this month with the auspicious festival of Akshaya Tritiya," as per the Uttarakhand government.
As per the Uttarakhand government, the state's tourism development council for Char Dham Yatra is currently operating around the clock. On average, 638 individuals from across the country contact the control room daily to obtain information related to the pilgrimage. To date, approximately 17,853 people have reached out to the control room.
The registration process for the Char Dham Yatra started on March 20. On the first day, 1,032 people contacted the control room and got information. On April 8, 961 people contacted the control room and on April 7, 803 people contacted. The toll-free number 0135-1364 of the control room of the Tourism Development Council is continuously receiving calls from different parts of the country.
On April 10, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that the state government is dedicated to ensuring the safety of Char Dham Yatra pilgrims, as this pilgrimage is vital for the state's economy.
"The preparations for the Char Dham Yatra are underway. I also chaired a meeting to review the preparations for the Yatra. We are committed to ensuring the safety of the pilgrims. Char Dham Yatra is a lifeline for our state's economy," CM Dhami said.
Char Dham Yatra or pilgrimage is a tour of four holy sites, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, nestled high up in the Himalayas. In Hindi, 'char' means four and 'dham' refers to religious destinations.
It is believed that one should complete the Char Dham Yatra in a clockwise direction. Hence, the pilgrimage starts from Yamunotri, proceeds towards Gangotri, onto Kedarnath, and finally ends at Badrinath. The journey can be completed by road or by air (helicopter services are available). Some devotees even do a Do Dham Yatra or a pilgrimage to two shrines - Kedarnath and Badrinath.