Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra crosses 50 lakh mark, Badrinath leads footfall

The number of pilgrims visiting Uttarakhand's Char Dham shrines this year has crossed the 50-lakh mark, with around 50.87 lakh devotees visiting Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, according to official figures.

The total includes 3.26 lakh pilgrims, as of Wednesday, who visited Hemkund Sahib, the holy Sikh shrine in Chamoli district.

Badrinath recorded the highest footfall at 17.47 lakh, followed by Kedarnath with 15.03 lakh, Gangotri with 7.95 lakh and Yamunotri with 7.13 lakh pilgrims.

Char Dham Yatra began in April

The Char Dham Yatra began on April 19 and is expected to continue until November. The portals of the four shrines will be closed on different dates with the onset of winter.

The pilgrimage, particularly the route to Kedarnath, was repeatedly disrupted during the monsoon due to heavy rains, landslides and other weather-related incidents.

Kedarnath route faced weather disruptions

Earlier this week, the Yatra was halted for more than two days following a landslide near Chirbasa on the Kedarnath trekking route caused by heavy rainfall. The pilgrimage resumed on Tuesday after the route was cleared.

The Yatra has regained momentum in September, with an average of around 13,000 pilgrims visiting the Char Dham sites daily over the past few days.

The Char Dham Yatra has attracted more than 50 lakh pilgrims in each of the last two to three years as well.