Uttarakhand Aims to Be World's Spiritual Capital, Says CM Dhami

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami states Uttarakhand is on track to become the world's spiritual capital, citing a massive increase in pilgrims. Shrines like Char Dham, Jageshwar, and Adi Kailash have seen record footfalls, driven by infrastructure development.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday said that, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, the Uttarakhand government is committed to establishing the state as the spiritual capital of the world. To achieve this goal, the government is developing major and ancient temples across the state while strengthening basic infrastructure and amenities at pilgrimage destinations.

According to a release from CMO, Uttarakhand is rapidly progressing towards becoming the world's spiritual capital. The steadily rising number of devotees visiting the Char Dham shrines as well as other major religious destinations is clear evidence of this. During the first half of 2026 alone, the number of pilgrims visiting Jageshwar Dham (Almora) and Triyuginarayan Temple (Rudraprayag) increased by nearly 2.5 times compared to the same period last year. Pilgrim footfall at Purnagiri Dham (Champawat) grew by around 1.5 times, while Dhari Devi Temple (Srinagar) witnessed almost a twofold increase.

Government Initiatives to Boost Spiritual Tourism

Chief Minister Dhami said the government is working continuously to develop Uttarakhand's major religious destinations by integrating them into tourism circuits, promoting the Manaskhand Mandirmala Mission on the lines of Kedarkhand for the development of Kumaon's ancient temples, improving road connectivity, expanding transport services, and enhancing infrastructure at pilgrimage sites.

The Chief Minister said the government's focused efforts have resulted in a steady rise in the number of pilgrims visiting not only the Char Dham shrines but also other prominent temples across the state. The Char Dham Yatra is setting new records, with 4.584 million (45,84,375) pilgrims having completed the pilgrimage in the first 105 days of the yatra this year, the release said.

Record-Breaking Footfall Across Shrines

According to the Uttarakhand Tourism Department's report for the first half of 2026 (January-June), Jageshwar Dham received 174,119 pilgrims, compared to 67,875 during the same period in 2025. Purnagiri Dham recorded 2,091,788 pilgrims by June this year, up from 1,435,290 during the corresponding period last year. Dhari Devi Temple welcomed 542,626 devotees, compared to 283,275 in 2025. Similarly, Triyuginarayan Temple in Rudraprayag district registered 340,385 pilgrims during the first half of 2026, against 136,120 in the same period last year.

The Muni Ki Reti, Tapovan and Shivpuri areas in Tehri district, located near Rishikesh, have also emerged as major tourist attractions. Between January and June this year, 1,597,439 tourists visited these destinations, compared to 1,362,600 during the same period in 2025. Kartik Swami Temple in Rudraprayag and Surkanda Devi Temple in Tehri have also recorded a significant increase in pilgrim arrivals, the release said.

Yamunotri and Badrinath See Historic Turnout

Despite the challenging trek to Yamunotri Dham in Uttarkashi district, the shrine has registered its highest-ever pilgrim turnout. As of August 2, a record 654,958 devotees had visited the temple this yatra season. Previous figures include 644,637 pilgrims in 2025, 515,067 in 2024, 560,918 in 2023, 621,504 in 2022, and 33,331 in 2021.

The Badrinath Yatra completed its first 100 days on July 31. During this period, 1,552,021 pilgrims visited the shrine, compared to 1,240,408 during the same period last year, marking an increase of 311,613 devotees.

Adi Kailash and Kainchi Dham Break All Previous Records

According to a release, Adi Kailash Dham in Pithoragarh district has also witnessed record growth in pilgrim arrivals. In just two months, 52,441 devotees visited the sacred shrine. The pilgrimage has been temporarily suspended since July 1 due to the monsoon.

The Chief Minister noted that pilgrim numbers to Adi Kailash have increased manifold following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in 2023. Before 2022, annual footfall remained below 2,000. The shrine received 10,025 pilgrims in 2023, 29,352 in 2024, and 36,526 in 2025. This year, the yatra commenced on May 1, and within two months alone, 52,441 devotees had visited the shrine.

Kainchi Dham in Nainital district has also broken all previous records for pilgrim arrivals. Between January and June this year, 2,434,507 devotees visited the ashram of Baba Neem Karoli Maharaj. June alone recorded the highest monthly footfall, with over 866,000 devotees visiting the shrine. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)