Every year, hundreds of people attempt one of India's most revered pilgrimages, the Char Dham yatra in Uttarakhand. The yatra goes through the four pilgrimage sites of Kedarnath, Yamunotri, Badrinath, and Gangotri. If you are planning to go on the pilgrimage, here is a recent development you should know about: The Uttarakhand government has imposed a ban on mobile phone usage within a 200-metre radius of the Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri temples in response to the increasing number of tourists. This decision was made during a special meeting on the Char Dham pilgrimage, chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
Due to increased pilgrim activity, phones, video recording, and social media content within a 50-metre radius of the shrines are banned. Moreover, according to reports, the Uttarakhand government has decided to prohibit VIP darshan at the Char Dham temples. Chief Secretary Radha Raturi had earlier declared a ban on the use of mobile phones within 200 metres of Char Dham shrines. Additionally, he warned that the administration would take legal action against individuals found creating reels and spreading false information about the Char Dham yatra.
“I would like to inform that this year, there is continuous surge in the number of pilgrims visiting the holy Char Dham in Uttarakhand,” said Raturi in a letter to counterparts in all states and Union territories. “For better management, we have decided not to have any ‘VIP Darshan’ till 31 May, 2024.”
The letter added that the “Char Dham yatra is being conducted smoothly. Arrangements have been made to ensure systematic darshan to the pilgrims, but at present it has been noticed that videography/reels are being made for social media in the temple premises, due to which crowd gathers at one place, and devotees are facing inconvenience. Therefore, keeping in mind the convenience of the devotees, making videos/reels for social media within the radius of 50 metres of the temple premises in Char Dham is completely banned”. According to reports, the government has also made it mandatory for only registered vehicles to be allowed on the Char Dham routes in order to improve traffic flow.
Every year, thousands of pilgrims embark on a spiritual journey to seek blessings on the Char Dham yatra. Registrations began on April 25 this year and the yatra commenced on May 10. In the initial six days of the pilgrimage, a total of 3,34,732 individuals from India and abroad visited the shrines to offer prayers.
This year, the Yamunotri Temple opened from May 10. The auspicious date was chosen based on the Hindu Panchang, which corresponds with Akshay Tritiya. The Char Dham Temple Committee decides the closing date. This year, it will close on October 31. If you are planning a visit to the temple, here's some more usable information. The morning and evening aartis are held from 6:30 to 07:30 AM and 6:30 to 07:30 PM. The temple will be open for general viewing from 7:30 AM to 12 PM, as well as at 2 PM. There will be no darshan from 12 to 2 PM. When the temples close for the year, on appointed days, the representative deities are brought down in a grand procession to temples at lower levels for daily worship.
As far as mountain pilgrimages go, the Char Dham yatra (to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri) is one of the most popular. The pilgrimage to the town of Gangotri, famous for its old Gurkha-built temple to Ganga, is easily the pick of the lot. The origin of the Bhagirathi River, the chief tributary of the Ganga, lies in the Gangotri glacier, some 18km further above Gangotri. Just a few hours' walk from the town into the many nearby valleys takes you into the heart of the Himalayas. Nestled amidst the majestic Himalayas, Kedarnath stands as a revered sanctuary and a cherished destination for countless devotees in India. Beyond its spiritual allure, Kedarnath boasts a breathtaking natural beauty that captivates visitors.