Char Dham yatra enters final phase as footfall crosses 6 million mark

The Char Dham Yatra has entered its final phase, with over six million pilgrims having visited the Himalayan shrines so far this season, officials said. The total footfall stood at 6,031,017 till Tuesday evening.

Last year over 5 million pilgrims had visited Char Dham Shrines, while in 2023 , over 5.6 million pilgrims had visited the four shrines. The yatra, which began on April 19, will conclude for the winter after the portals of Badrinath Dham are closed on November 16.

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Officials said that Badrinath Dham remained the most visited shrine this season, recording 2,069,866 pilgrims, while Kedarnath Dham followed with 1,775,059 pilgrims, officials said.

Uttarkashi district magistrate Prashant Arya said the administration is focusing on preparations for the winter Char Dham Yatra. Once the deities move to their winter abodes at Mukhba for Goddess Ganga and Kharsali for Goddess Yamuna, pilgrims will be able to continue their pilgrimage there. He added that various executive agencies had been directed to ensure the convenience of pilgrims and smooth arrangements throughout the season. The winter Char Dham Yatra for Kedarnath will begin after the closure of its portals and the arrival of the deity at the winter abode in Ukhimath.

Rajkumar Tiwari, president of Shree Kedar Sabha Teerth Purohit Samaj, Kedarnath, said the winter pilgrimage last year attracted a large number of tourists to Ukhimath. “Once the deity reaches the winter abode, pilgrims will be able to have continuous darshan during the winter season too along with other nearby dhams, including Trijugi Narayan temple,” Tiwari said.