PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The Char Dham Yatra 2026 will commence on Sunday with the opening of portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off the buses bound for the Yatra in a programme organised in Rishikesh on Saturday. The programme was organised by the Sainyukt Rotation Yatra Vyavastha Samiti.
Welcoming the pilgrims, the CM said that the Char Dham Yatra is a path that connects faith, spiritual practice and the soul. He said the government is committed to ensuring that the Yatra is smooth, safe, well-organized and divine.
He said that the Yatra is setting new records every year. The CM averred that he himself is regularly reviewing the preparations for the Yatra and added the State government’s goal is to provide every devotee with security, respect and a divine experience.
The CM requested all the devotees to maintain cleanliness at the religious places and along the Yatra route.
“The God resides in every grain of Uttarakhand, it is our collective responsibility to maintain this purity. Our government has set the target of green Char Dham Yatra and plastic-free Kedarnath Dham this year,’’ he said. The CM added that regular cleaning of the Yatra routes is being ensured and it has been made mandatory to keep dustbins in all the vehicles.
He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, many historic initiatives are being undertaken to make the pilgrimage more accessible. The recently inaugurated Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, built at a cost of Rs 12,000 crore was to make the Yatra easier and faster.
He said that the All Weather Road project has streamlined travel routes. Work on the ropeway projects from Gaurikund to Kedarnath and from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib is also underway.
The CM said that since the Yatra is a livelihood for a large population, local products, employment and the economy are being promoted during the pilgrimage. He requested the pilgrims to purchase local products during the Yatra.
Cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal requested the pilgrims to follow the government’s health advisories and if necessary, undergo a health check-up before embarking on the Yatra. He claimed that adequate arrangements have been made for health facilities along the Yatra route.
Cabinet minister Pradeep Batra said that the Transport Department is continuously preparing for the upcoming pilgrimage. He said shuttle services have been introduced along the Yatra route this year.
Local MLA Premchand Agrawal, Rishikesh Mayor Shambhu Paswan and others were present on the occasion.
