Uttarakhand: Over 19 lakh devotees took Char Dham Yatra this year

Over 19 lakhs devotees undertook the Char Dham Yatra since the pilgrimage began on May 3 this year, informed the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee on Sunday.

Temple Committee said that till the evening of June 11, the total number of pilgrims who reached Uttarakhand Chardham is 19,04,253 (nineteen lakh four thousand two hundred fifty-three).

From May 8 to June 11 evening, 6,57,547 pilgrims reached Badrinath Dham while 6,33,548 pilgrims have reached the Kedarnath Dham from May 6 to June 11 evening.

Meanwhile, a total of 91 pilgrims have lost their lives during the course of the Char Dam Yatra in Uttarakhand till May 27.

The Uttarakhand government, on May 11, announced its decision to increase the number of pilgrims by 1,000 each to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.

"The government has decided to increase the number of pilgrims at Chardham by one thousand," Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had told ANI.

With this, 16,000 devotees can visit Badrinath and 13,000 can have 'darshan' of the deity at Kedarnath Dham in a day.

Now, as many as 8,000 and 5,000 pilgrims can visit Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham, in a day, respectively.

The doors of the Gangotri-Yamunotri Dham were opened on May 3, whereas the portals of Kedarnath and Badrinath were opened on May 6 and May 8, respectively.

This year, the registrations for Yatra have also observed a new record as more than 10 lakh pilgrims have registered.

Meanwhile, twenty-six people were killed and four others injured after the bus carrying pilgrims from Panna district in Madhya Pradesh fell into a deep gorge en route to the Yamunotri temple in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand on June 5, according to officials.

Besides the driver and the helper, there were 28 passengers on board.

(ANI)

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