Over 200,000 registrations for Char Dham Yatra slated to start in April

More than two lakh devotees have registered themselves for the Char Dham Yatra which is slated to start next month, a top official of the Uttarakhand government said.

The yatra will begin on April 22 with the opening of the Yamunotri and Gangotri temples. Kedarnath will open on April 25 and Badrinath on April 27.

In a meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Radha Raturi to review preparations for the Yatra, Tourism Secretary Sachin Kurve said that apart from the designated website, pilgrims also have the option of registering through phone and WhatsApp.

Till Thursday, more than 2.12 lakh devotees have registered themselves for the Chardham Yatra, Kurve said, adding a more transparent system is being implemented this time for the registration of helicopter services as well.

Registrations for the Char Dham Yatra started on February 21.

A full-scale Char Dham yatra which resumed in 2022 after a gap of two years due to COVID-19, saw more than 47 lakh pilgrims paying obeisance at the Himalayan temples.

Uttarakhand has the image of a tourist state and it is everybody's responsibility to ensure that every visitor coming to the state returns with a good experience, Raturi said.