Char Dham Yatra footfalls cross 25 lakh, more than 9 lakh visit Gangotri & Yamunotri
Sunday, 23 JUNE 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN/UTTARKASHI
The number of pilgrims who have visited Gangotri and Yamunotri temples in Uttarkashi district so far has crossed nine lakh. According to official data, the total number of people who have visited the Char Dham temples since the start of the Yatra on May 10-12 has reached 25,71,830. A total of 9,54,043 people have visited Kedarnath in the Rudraprayag district so far with 6,179 visiting on Saturday. In the Chamoli district, 7,16,029 people have visited Badrinath so far with 17,263 visiting on Saturday. Similarly, 4,42,186 people have visited Yamunotri so far with 5,139 visiting on Saturday while 4,59,572 have visited Gangotri so far with 7,117 visiting the temple on Saturday.
While all the Char Dham temples have been registering a high number of pilgrims, Gangotri and Yamunotri have seen a considerable rush of pilgrims this year. In the first 44 days after these two temples were reopened to the public on May 10 the number of people who have visited these shrines is about 16 per cent higher compared to the last year and about 37 per cent higher than the number of pilgrims in the corresponding period in 2022. According to officials, a total of 9,01,758 people have visited Gangotri and Yamunotri in the first 44 days of the pilgrimage since May 10. The number of pilgrims who had visited these two temples during the corresponding period in 2023 was 7,78,257 and 6,59,061 in 2022. The number of pilgrims who have visited Yamunotri so far is 20 per cent higher than the pilgrim footfall in 2023 and 55 per cent higher than the pilgrim footfall during the corresponding period in 2022. Similarly, in Gangotri the pilgrim footfall this time is 12 per cent higher than in 2023 and about 23 per cent higher than the pilgrim footfall during the corresponding period in 2022. The officials further informed that a total of 80,128 vehicles carrying pilgrims reached Gangotri and Yamunoti so far this year. The number of vehicles is 12.77 per cent higher than in 2023 and 40.64 per cent higher than the number of vehicles during the corresponding period in 2022.
It is pertinent to mention here that the rush of pilgrims especially during the initial days of the Char Dham Yatra had caused major congestion on the routes to Gangotri and Yamunotri. However, the situation has improved now with the number of pilgrims dwindling down to manageable levels.
