The revered Kedarnath Dham has witnessed a massive influx of devotees, with the number surpassing more than 7 lakh till June 6. According to the District Magistrate of Rudraprayag, a total of 7,10,698 pilgrims have made the journey to the world-famous 11th Jyotirlinga Kedarnath Dham in just 28 days since May 10.
Notably, the Uttarakhand government has made registration mandatory for all pilgrims coming for the Chardham Yatra. The state Chief Secretary Radha Raturi on May 22 issued an advisory for mandatory registration.
With offline registration paused in Haridwar and Rishikesh, now devotees can undergo the Yatra only after online registration. Travellers have been advised to come to the Yatra only on the scheduled date after registration.
Earlier on June 2, more than 19,000 pilgrims paid obeisance and offered prayers at the revered Shri Kedarnath Dham, bringing the total number of pilgrims who had visited the shrine to over 6,00,000, according to the Uttarakhand government.
According to the official data, a total of 19,484 pilgrims including 12,857 men, 6,323 women and 304 children visited the holy temple. A total of 6,27,213 pilgrims have visited Shri Kedarnath Dham, as per the data from the state government.
Devotees at Kedarnath Dham have been enjoying a smooth and seamless darshan experience, due to the assistance provided by the Rudraprayag police.
Taking to its official X handle, the Rudraprayag police posted, “Today, on June 2, 2024, the devotees who reached Shri Kedarnath Dham are being given darshan in a smooth manner by making them stand in queues.”The police stated that the deployment of security personnel is conducted to ensure cooperation and maintain safety.
The Rudraprayag Police also advised the devotees to come to Kedarnath Dham Yatra only after completing their registration. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that registration facilities will be started for ‘Kainchi Dham’.
Kaichi Dham is a beautiful secluded mountain ashram also referred to as Neem Karoli Baba’s ashram in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand. CM Dhami’s statement came during a review meeting of the ‘Char Dham’ Yatra and other matters.
CM Dhami, who also visited Badrinath on June 1, reviewed the arrangements and said that the yatra is currently underway in a very systematic manner.
The Hindu pilgrimage Char Dham circuit consists of four sites: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. The River Yamuna originates from the Yamunotri Glacier in Uttarakhand. Pilgrimage season peaks in Uttarakhand for the Char Dham Yatra annually during the summers. (ANI)