11.45 lakh pilgrims have visited the Char Dham shrines so far
Sunday, 29 May 2022 | PNS | DEHRADUN
There is ample time for the Char Dham Yatra so in order to avoid inconvenience, the pilgrims should desist from rushing. More than 11 lakh pilgrims have visited the Char Dham shrines so far. Stating this on Saturday, Tourism secretary Dilip Jawalkar said that pilgrims can make their experience more memorable by properly planning their Yatra. Better roads and availability of vehicles have shortened the total duration of the pilgrimage. In the past the pilgrims used to travel mostly in government vehicles and the Yatra used to take about nine days which also prevented crowding at the pilgrimage centres. However, with better roads now, the pilgrims are also undertaking the Yatra in private vehicles with lesser time being taken to reach the Char Dham. The weather forecast arrangement has also improved compared to the past. About 11.45 lakh pilgrims have visited the Char Dham shrines so far. Jawalkar stressed that while the Amarnath Yatra lasts for about a month, the Char Dham Yatra is open for six to seven months. Hence, the pilgrims should desist from making a rush in order to avoid any inconvenience. Stating that the government is making all possible effort to make the pilgrimage systematic, he appealed to the youth to give the aged and women the chance to have darshan first. The pilgrims are also requested to use only the authorised official website for online booking and Yatra registration as protection from any fraud. Those who suffered from serious ailments in the past should keep their doctor’s diagnosis, prescription and contact number with them. The very aged, sick and those who were seriously afflicted by Covid-19 in the past are advised to either avoid or postpone going on the pilgrimage, he said, while adding that more than 22 lakh people have registered for the Char Dham Yatra so far.
