Chardham Yatra Updates

Chardham Yatra is an auspicious pilgrimage journey for Hindus to the temples of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri in the Himalayas. The doors of the Chardham 2025 are going to be opened soon in April/May for Darshan.

• Yamunotri Temple – 30 April
• Gangotri Temple – 30 April
• Kedarnath – 02 May
• Badrinath Temple – 02 May

Chardham Yatra is just a week away from closing completely for the 2024 pilgrimage season, and people are still arriving in remarkable numbers. Among the four Dhams, Gangotri, Yamunotri, and Kedarnath have already been closed leaving the gates of only Badrinath Temple open for devotees.

The gates of Gangotri Temple were closed on 2nd November and the gates of Yamunotri and Kedarnath Dhams were closed on its following day, 3rd November, on the day of Bhaiya Dooj festival. These temples will stay closed until the start of the 2025 Chardham pilgrimage season.

The fourth Dham, Badrinath, is also scheduled to be closed on Sunday, 17th of November. The closing day of all four temples witnesses an auspicious ceremony marking the culmination of the pilgrimage season. The gates are closed afterwards and a palanquin procession takes the image of main deity to the winter seat of each temple for next six months. The winter seats of Gangotri, Yamunotri, and Kedarnath are Mukhba, Kharsali, and Ukhimath respectively. In these places, devotees can worship the deities of Char Dham even in winter. After staying closed for the next six months, the gates to all four dhams will open again in May-June for Char Dham pilgrimage 2025.

The 2024 Char Dham Pilgrimage season, which started on the 10th of May, recorded a staggering number of pilgrims despite its shorter opening period till the end. While in 2023, Char Dhams were open for 207 days, in 2024 it is only 192 days, still, the count of devotees reached 47 Lakh (4.7 million).

Gangotri Temple

• Closed on 2 November on Annakoot festival at 12:14 pm.
• Total pilgrimage count was 8.22 lakh.
• The deity will be transferred to Mukhba for the winter.

Yamunotri Temple

• Closed on 3 November on Bhaiya Dooj at 12:05 pm.
• Total pilgrimage count was 7 lakh.
• The winter seat for Yamunotri is Kharsali.

Kedarnath Temple

• Gates closed on 3rd November at 8:30 am.
• Total pilgrimage count was 16.5 lakh.
• The deity is transferred to Ukhimath after the closing ceremony until the next pilgrimage season.

Badrinath Temple

• To be closed on 17th November.
• Over 10 lakh devotees have visited Badrinath till now.
• The deity will be transferred to Joshimath after the closing of the temple.

The Char Dham Yatra has entered the last phase of the season, and with this, the footfall in all four temples combining Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, has crossed the mark of 40 lakh pilgrims. This is after the number of devotees arriving at the dhams slowed down in monsoon for two-three months after June.

According to the recent official figures, on 14th October the count of pilgrims that reached Char Dhams was 27,789, of which the highest, 11,309 devotees, arrived in Kedarnath Dham. On the same day, the number of pilgrims in Badrinath was 6,644, in Gangotri, it was 2,406, and 3,290 in Yamunotri.

Although the yatra slows down almost every year during the monsoon, this year the Kedarghati landslides damaged the route severely. However, the state government restored the Yatra quickly making the pilgrimage accessible again. Now the elevating pace of pilgrim count in all four dhams after monsoon averages the daily tourist count to 20,000.

Also, the Char Dham will be soon closing its gates for winter. The gates of Kedarnath and Yamunotri Dham will be closed on 3rd November, Gangotri Temple will be closed on 2nd November, and Badrinath Dham Temple on 17th November.

The second phase of the Char Dham Yatra 2024 pilgrimage season has witnessed an unprecedented surge of devotees in all four shrines; Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. By the end of September, the tourism count of 4 Dham Yatra had reached approximately 38 lakhs. Starting on May 10th, the Char Dham Yatra has completed four months of its six-month season this year.

The reported pilgrim footfall on 30 September exceeded 20,000, of which Kedarnath Dham attracted the largest number of devotees. While Kedarnath Valley welcomed 7,350 devotees, Badrinath Dham hosted 6,811 pilgrims, 3,619 devotees reached Gangotri on the day, and 2,717 was the count for Yamunotri Dham. Though the current tourist count in the Char Dhams is not much higher than the previous year, it is believed to surpass previous records in the following months as enthusiasm and momentum have grown among pilgrim’s post-monsoon.

As the Char Dham journey will only continue till the next month (November), a large number of pilgrims have already registered for the yatra in October and November.

As of 22 September, the count of people who visited the Badrinath Dham for the 2024 season has crossed 10 lakhs. These continuing additions to the number reflect the keen incline of contemporary tourists towards this religious site.

Since the commencement of the 2024 Badrinath Char Dham Dham Yatra on May 12, this significant religious site has started seeing an influx of tourists day-after-day. The count kept getting bigger till it was recorded to be about 8.21 lakh by June 30. However, the Monsoon season tapered the momentum for a while. While in the first two months, Badrinath had already crossed the mark of eight lakhs, the footfall of devotees in the following one-and-a-half months was almost negligible. Most of the monsoon's rainy days saw only a couple of thousands of pilgrims. And on July 7th, not a single one reached the Dham.

However, as the monsoon subsided, the surge continued and over 36,000 devotees were recorded in just a week after 15th September. According to the Badrinath Dham Yatra updates, until Saturday, 21st September, the total count of devotees to reach the Badrinath Dham had crossed 10 Lakhs. This significant milestone not only shows the increasing religious tourism in Uttarakhand but is also a call for you to pack-a-bag and visit this holy shrine soon.

In a latest update regarding the Kedarnath Yatra 2024, the walking routes for the yatra have yet again become accessible for the devotees. The walking routes for the yatra to the temple which were disrupted due to heavy rains and landslides in the region have opened up, due to which more than 30 pilgrims have been able to reach the temple in two days. Although the weather conditions are much clearer now, the administration is still keeping a watch in case of any sudden rains and are on alert. Along with the walking routes, heli services to Kedarnath Dham have also resumed simultaneously, providing more options for the devotees to reach the temple. Kedarnath Dham, which opened its doors for visitors since May 10 this year, has already seen visits by more than 10,94,000 devotees so far, and with the way the repair work for the damaged routes are proceeding, this number is expected to increase. For ease of access for the yatris, routes for horses and mules to travel through are also being worked on.

The latest update for the post-monsoon Kedarnath Dham Yatra 2024 is that helicopter services to Kedarnath Dham, which were halted due to heavy rains in the region, have resumed once again. Helicopters belonging to Trans Bharat and the Himalayan Heli Company were stationed and ready to fly from the helipads at Guptkashi and Sersi, but saw a delayed start by a day due to incessant rains. However, as soon as the weather cleared for flying, Heli services have already begun flying to and fro Kedarnath Dham, carrying 18 pilgrims to the temple.

The decision to resume helicopter services to the Kedarnath Dham comes after the roads and pathways to the temple were washed away due to the landslides last week, leaving only the option of reaching the temple by air. Understanding the dedication of the devotees, the state government has decided to reduce the cost of the helicopter tickets by 25 percent, with the reduction in the ticket cost compensated by the state government.

The Kedarnath Yatra which sees visits by crowds of pilgrims during the yatra season has now been put on pause. Landslides caused by heavy rains have led to a disruption to the yatra in Uttarakhand. The rains in the region have caused severe damage to sections of the highway and walking routes, due to which the state government has issued an advisory recommending the yatris to delay their pilgrimage to Kedarnath until the rains subside.

The state authorities have said that an estimated 100 meters of highway, from Sonprayag to Kedarnah has been washed away due to the rains, giving an idea of the severity of the situation. As such, Uttarakhand’s state government has also put on hold the registrations for the Char Dham Yatra in Haridwar and Rishikesh. Keeping in mind the safety of the yatris during this time, the state government has further urged the travelers who are in Rudraprayag to remain in their current locations and have advised them to delay their travel until the situation stabilizes.

Ever since the gates of the Char Dham Temples opened up for the Yatra, Uttarakhand has seen an influx of tourists within the state. As such, the State Transport Department and the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand, Radha Raturi have taken it upon themselves to ensure and maintain the cleanliness of the state.

To deter the tourists and yatris entering the state from littering, the Uttarakhand government has made it mandatory for vehicles to install dustbins and garbage bags. Failing to do so will result in non issuance of trip cards and fines. Due to which, the State Transport Department has also written to the Transport Commissioners of various states including Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, about this mandatory rule during the yatra.

According to the chief secretary of the state, trip cards will only be issued after the vehicles have been checked and their compliance with the new rule ensured. Realizing the fact that Uttarakhand is a state that sees crowds of visitors from other states, especially during the yatra season, this decision has been made to protect the natural environment of Uttarakhand to an extent.

In Uttarakhand, the cherished Char Dham Yatra is in full swing as the four sacred Dhams situated in the Himalayas are being visited by devotees from all throughout the world. Worshippers are always ecstatic about the Char Dham Yatra and since the opening of the doors of the temple, over thirty lakh pilgrims have visited the four Dhams over the first 50 days of the Char Dham pilgrimage journey. It is however expected that it is possible to infer from this that this year's Char Dham Yatra will establish a new record.

As the gates of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri opened a few days ago, a huge influx of pilgrims from different parts of the nation are seen visiting the sacred spots. Visitors of around 640000 travelled to the holy destinations within the last ten days as per the data recorded.

Every day, the four holy destinations of the Chardham pilgrimage circuit keep receiving a steady flow of 70000 pilgrims on average. The registration desks are quite busy tallying the number of bookings and have seen a remarkable turnout of around 30 lakh pilgrims. As there is a surge in the number of pilgrims, the UK government and administration have issued measures to look out for the unregistered pilgrims by installing various checkpoints to manage the influx of devotees to the Chardhams. The rise in pilgrims travelling to the Chardhams is a sign of the enthusiasm and strong interest among spiritual seekers in completing this important journey.

Usually, the Chardham pilgrimage yatra takes place in the months of May to October. The Char Dham Yatra is advised to be completed in a clockwise manner. Thus, the pilgrimage begins in Yamunotri and continues to Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath, where it concludes. Millions of devotees from all over the world are approaching the holy Chardham destinations in the Himalayas to offer their prayers and seek blessings from the Gods and Goddesses.

With the Chardham Yatra 2024 all set to begin from the 10th of May, Uttarakhand government is seeing an influx of devotees who wish to attend the yatra this year. The Uttarakhand state government has made it mandatory for the aspiring yatris to register themselves for the yatra, without which no entry would be possible. The government has made available various options for registering oneself for this year’s Chardham Yatra, more information about which can be found on the state’s tourism website. Yatra registration which began earlier this April, is already seeing an influx of devotees.

According to the state’s tourism department, over 19 lakh people have registered themselves for the yatra so far, hitting a new record. The state government and the tourism department has further predicted an increase in the number of devotees attending the yatra this year and hopes the number to go higher than last year, which were already at a staggering 56 lakh! The Chardham Temples are set to open from the 10th of May this year, with most of the devotees planning to visit the Kedarnath Dham in particular, as per the tourism department.

This year the Chardham Yatra is all set to begin from the 10th of May, preparations for which are happening with much fervor and enthusiasm by the state government of Uttarakhand. Registrations for the Chardham Yatra 2024 is already seeing an overwhelming response from the devotees, with the number only expected to go higher in the coming weeks. As such, the state government has predicted that the yatra this year might see visits by more than 10 lakh devotees within the first two days itself. Due to which, the state’s chief secretary, Radha Rutari has sent letters to the chief secretaries of the different states of the country requesting them to avoid sending VIP and VVIPs for the yatra for the first fifteen days, only until the 25th of May, fearing the overwhelming crowd that might cause them inconvenience during the yatra.

For the convenience of the yatris, attempts are also being made to avoid VIP darshans for now at the Kedarnath Dham, which usually sees the most crowd among the Chardham temples. As a measure to further safeguard the yatris, the government has also made helicopter services to the Kedarnath Dham only available through the official website of the IRCTC, which will help the yatris to avoid getting scammed and have a pious and safe chardham yatra this year.

To ensure a comfortable yatra season for the devotees, preparations have been made to accommodate all kinds of yatris. A major concern of the previous seasons has been parking, for which, this year parking facilities have been made better throughout the yatra route. 20 places have been designated for parking with a possibility to park 1495 vehicles comfortably, where the vehicles can be monitored via an app. In regards to cleanliness, more than 700 cleaning staff have been recruited along with the installation of various high tech and mobile modular toilets along the yatra route. In addition to this, a road sweeping machine for better cleaning of the roads has also been assigned.

The mules and horses, around 4,000 of them, will be closely monitored during the yatra, where they will be provided with water facilities and health checkups as well. Hawkers will also be assigned identity cards and dormitories will be made available for those traveling with the mules and horses during the yatra season. To accommodate larger crowds, roads have also been widened at many places and arrangements for ambulances and necessary golf carts are also deployed for the convenience of the devotees. Other than this, health check-up centers will also be operated at around 18 places along the Chardham yatra route. With such initiatives and preparations for the Chardham yatra 2024, the state government is hoping for a safe, blessed and a comfortable pilgrimage for all visitors.

The Health SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) for Uttarakhand Chardham Yatra 2024 has made several guidelines in 11 languages for better understanding of the pilgrims. The SOP will provide special health and travel advice for clear and better communication as the people visiting the Himalayas are from different parts of the nation and face a language barrier.

According to the latest update for 4 Dham Yatra pilgrims, the Health Department has asked the visitors to plan for the Chardham Yatra seven days prior. The health SOP for the Chardham pilgrimage tour is issued in Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Marathi and Oriya including English and Hindi.

Advice and guidelines for the devotees travelling for Char Dham Yatra 2024:

• Take a rest of 5 to 10 minutes every one to two hours while trekking through the routes of the Himalayas on foot.
• Carry warm clothes along with raincoats and umbrellas as the weather conditions change rapidly at higher altitudes.
• Travellers should carry thermometers, oximeters and prescribed medicines during the pilgrimage journey to take care of their health.
• People suffering from specific health issues like heart problems, high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes and any other issues should carry a sufficient amount of medicine and their doctor’s number with them.
• Travellers facing any kind of health issues like chest pain, vomiting, dizziness and shortness of breath must rush to their nearest health centre or medical relief for immediate check-ups.
• 50 screening health relief points are installed on the Yatra routes where the visitors will get medicines, oxygen cylinders and other necessary items. Along that, pilgrims will be examined on 28 different health parameters including high blood pressure and diabetes.
• Telemedicine facilities will also be delivered over the telecommunications infrastructure to the travellers.

Pilgrims planning to visit the Chardham in the year 2024 need to start registering for the Yatra as the online registration portal has been opened from 8th April 2024. People can register through toll-free numbers, email IDs, WhatsApp numbers and the online official website of Uttarakhand Tourism. In 2024, the Uttarakhand government is expecting more devotees than last year and for that eight counters are being opened for manual registration of Chardham Temples. The agencies are working tirelessly for the smooth functioning of manual registration and waiting for orders from the Tourism Department to start the registration process. Devotees will get a chance to register through both online and manual means.

Registration website for Chardham Yatra registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in/

Some important facts to remember:

• No entry is allowed inside the temple without the registration e-pass.
• Mobile numbers of the passengers will be written on the registration slip to receive the necessary details of the yatra.

Standard operating procedures (SOP) with proper health and travel guidelines will be issued in 11 languages as per 4 Dham Yatra News for clear and better communication. Tourists and pilgrims travel to the Himalayas from different parts of the country and face language barriers. Therefore, devotees will get the facility to understand the guidelines in their local language for better understanding. The SOP will be issued in English, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Marathi and Oriya.

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