Char Dham Yatra 2023: Relief for pilgrims as Uttarakhand govt lifts cap on number of devotees allowed at shrines

New Delhi: In big relief for lakhs of pilgrims planning a trip to the Char Dham this year, the Uttarakhand government on Friday withdrew its earlier decision on capping the total number of pilgrims headed for the hill state. Earlier this year, the Uttarakhand government had made registration of pilgrims mandatory and had also fixed the daily number of pilgrims that each holy destination of the Char Dham could allow keeping in mind the capacity of the region, resulting in trade losses for numerous hotel owners. The annual pilgrimage to the Char Dham usually starts from the last week of April. Pilgrimage sites of Yamunotri and Gangotri Dhams will be opened for pilgrims on Saturday, 22 April, 2023 while the more famous Kedarnath will throw open its doors on Tuesday and Badrinath will open for pilgrims on next Thursday, on 27 April. The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand is one of the most sought after Hindu pilgrimages in the country This pilgrimage is a tour of four holy sites - Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. On Thursday, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that so far more than 16 lakh registrations have been done for the yatra. CM Dhami also flagged off vehicles of the service team to serve devotees in Kedarnath Dham Yatra. He said that all preparations have been made for the Char Dham Yatra for the convenience of the pilgrims. Taking to Twitter CM Dhami said, “Hail Baba Kedar. Today flagged off the team of service members leaving for Kedarnath Dham in the upcoming Char Dham Yatra 2023 from the Chief Minister’s Camp Office. This team will cooperate in arranging Bhandara etc. for the devotees in Kedarnath Dham.” Earlier this week, inclement weather and fresh accumulation of snow en route to the temples hampered preparations for the Char Dham Yatra, slated to begin in a few days’ time. Kedarnath, along with Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri, collectively called Char Dham, attracts lakhs of pilgrims each year and is a huge tourist attraction for the state. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.