PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The Uttarakhand Char Dham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchayat and other stakeholders called on the Tourism department to regulate helicopter services to ensure they do not fly directly over the Char Dham temples. They claimed that such flights are not only a violation of religious traditions but could also pose a structural risk to the temples. This was stated by general secretary of the Char Dham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchayat, Brijesh Sati.
He told The Pioneer that responding to the concern, the officials stated that they were unaware of the issue but assured that measures will be taken to prevent helicopters from flying above the temple premises. He said that a meeting was recently held between the Mahapanchayat, other stakeholders of the Char Dham Yatra and senior officials of the Tourism department. During the discussions, concerns were also raised regarding the mandatory requirement of Aadhar cards for online Char Dham registration. Sati said that many stakeholders questioned the security risks associated with Aadhar details, suggesting that such information could potentially be misused for criminal activities.
However, Sati stated that officials clarified the necessity of Aadhar-based registration, citing previous instances of misuse. “The officials informed us that last year, several individuals registered multiple times using fake names and later exploited this by reportedly selling their registrations to those who could not secure a slot. Many devotees arrived without registration, leading to chaos and several had to return without darshan. To prevent such issues, the department has mandated Aadhar verification to ensure that one person can register only once,” he said.
He also informed that the department has not imposed any limits as of now and is working to ensure that no pilgrim is turned away. “Officials assured us that respective district administrations and authorities have been instructed to manage crowds effectively and make necessary arrangements to accommodate the influx of pilgrims. Since this year’s yatra is beginning earlier than last year, a larger number of devotees are expected to visit,” he said. With the Char Dham Yatra being a significant spiritual journey for thousands of pilgrims across the country and abroad, these measures aim to streamline the process while maintaining religious sanctity and structural safety at the holy sites, Sati added.
