“The government is making all possible arrangements for the Char Dham Yatra and will take a call on it after the lockdown in the state’s different parts ends on May 3,” said Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj
With the Kumbh Mela all set to end this week, the BJP-led Uttarakhand Government has shifted its focus to now organizing the Chardham Yatra starting May 14. The SOPs for the same have been drafted and should be issued soon.
The Chardham Yatra (four abodes) is an annual pilgrimage to the holy shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri. Usually, scores of people attend this yatra but the attendance had fallen last year, given the COVID-19 situation. In comparison to over 38 lakh pilgrims in 2019, only 4.2 lakh visited in 2020.
The state govt has prepared a draft of the SOPs and some of the likely conditions include e-registration, limiting numbers at the shrines, mandatory negative RT-PCR test. The draft SOP also emphasizes on online donation, bars entry into the sanctorum and bans offerings such as ghee and flowers, said government officials. The government has yet to take a call on the number of pilgrims to be allowed in the temple premises of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, reported ET
“We have made negative RT-PCR reports mandatory for Char Dham Yatra to ensure that the infection does not spread,” said Satpal Maharaj, Tourism Minister of Uttarakhand
“The Yatra is a matter of faith and we are committed to provide every facility to the pilgrims from all over the world, “
-Uttarakhand’s Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj.
“The government is making all possible arrangements for the Char Dham Yatra and will take a call on it after the lockdown in the state’s different parts ends on May 3,” said the Tourism Minister to ET
Also Read: “Someone Who Has Family Member On Death Bed Doesn’t Care About Cricket”: Adam Zampa Explains…
These developments gain significance after several news reports have claimed that over 1000 people tested positive during the Kumbh Mela and a subsequent lockdown in the state. The attendee’s number, however, thinned out for the last shahi snan after several akharas pulled out following PM Modi’s call for a symbolic celebration.
Meanwhile, India reported over 3.6lakh cases and 3293 deaths in the last 24 hours.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
