Char Dham Yatra sees 26% dip in pilgrims in first week, but officials attribute it to better planning

The Char Dham Yatra, one of India's most important pilgrimages, has seen a 26% drop in the number of pilgrims during its first week this year. Since the yatra began on 30 April, around 2.9 lakh devotees have visited the four shrines, nearly 1 lakh fewer than the 3.9 lakh who came during the same period in 2024.

Officials say this decline is actually a result of better planning. To stop overcrowding in the early days, the government started online registration 40 days before the yatra and delayed offline registration until just a few days before the start.

Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj said that this year, online registration began on 20 March, much earlier than usual. Aadhaar verification was made compulsory, and all documents were properly checked before pilgrims were allowed to move forward. He added that more offline booking counters were set up this year, which also helped manage the crowd.

Head of the Doon-based SDC Foundation Anoop Nautiyal said the drop in numbers is also because of the staggered opening of the shrines.

In 2024, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri opened on 10 May, and Badrinath on 12 May. But this year, Yamunotri and Gangotri opened on 30 April, Kedarnath on 2 May, and Badrinath on 4 May. This spread-out schedule has led to a slower build-up of pilgrims.

Nautiyal said the number of visitors is likely to increase later in May, especially during the summer holidays. He also urged the government to treat the yatra as a sacred and environmentally sensitive event, not just a tourist attraction.

“It needs careful planning and respect,” he said.

So far, more than 25 lakh people have registered for this year’s yatra: 8.7 lakh for Kedarnath, 7.8 lakh for Badrinath, 4.5 lakh for Gangotri, and 4.1 lakh for Yamunotri.

Inputs from TOI