Char Dham Yatra: Chamoli admin ensures all arrangements are in place

Chamoli administration is ensuring all necessary preparations for the Char Dham Yatra, including accommodation, water, and parking. Hotels are being supplied with extra resources, and the Badrinath Highway is being repaired for a smooth pilgrimage.

Preparations for Pilgrims

Uttarakhand's Chamoli District Magistrate (DM) Gaurav Kumar said on Saturday that the administration is ensuring all necessary preparations for the upcoming Char Dham Yatra. While speaking to ANI, he said that arrangements for accommodation, drinking water, toilets, electricity, and parking facilities are being put in place for the pilgrims. "We are preparing for Char Dham Yatra, which is going to start from April 23. All arrangements for accommodation, drinking water, toilets, electricity, and parking facilities are being put in place for the pilgrims," he informed.

The DM further informed that commercial gas cylinders are being distributed to all hotels and restaurants in the district. Additionally, extra resources are being provided to hotel and restaurant owners to manage the expected rush. "For all the local hotels and restaurants, we are providing commercial gas cylinders as well as the alternative source of feul are been provided," he added.

He added that the Badrinath Highway is being repaired, and treatment work is underway in landslide-prone zones to ensure that pilgrims do not face any inconvenience and that the yatra proceeds smoothly. He also mentioned that the administration had inspected the Badrinath Highway in February. Road work in the district is currently in progress by National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and all work will be completed before the yatra begins.

CM Directives and Safety Measures

Earlier on Thursday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed the prior identification of vulnerable areas and deployment of necessary resources. Better coordination among the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), and local administration was emphasised, along with keeping 24x7 control rooms and helplines active for prompt emergency response.

About the Char Dham Yatra

The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand is set to begin on April 19 with the opening of the gates at Yamunotri and Gangotri. The portals of Kedarnath Dham and Badrinath Dham are also set to reopen for devotees on April 22 and April 23, respectively.

The annual Char Dham Yatra, which includes pilgrimages to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, is one of the most significant religious journeys in Hinduism. It is believed that one should complete the Char Dham Yatra in a clockwise direction. Hence, the pilgrimage starts from Yamunotri, proceeds towards Gangotri, onto Kedarnath, and finally ends at Badrinath. The journey can be completed by road or by air (helicopter services are available). Some devotees even do a Do Dham Yatra or a pilgrimage to two shrines, Kedarnath and Badrinath, as per the Uttarakhand tourism official website.

The Char Dham Yatra, or pilgrimage, is a tour of four holy sites: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. In Hindi, 'char' means four and 'dham' refers to religious destinations, as per the Uttarakhand tourism official website. (ANI)

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