Char Dham Yatra 2024: The Char Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand is all set to commence on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, at 7 am on May 10. Devotees have already started to arrive after Panchmukhi Doli of Lord Kedarnath left Phata on Wednesday. The gates of Gangotri, Yamunotri, and Kedarnath Dham are set up to welcome the pilgrims by Friday, tomorrow. 


Ahead of the yatra, Swami Chidanand Muni, Paramadhyaksh of the Parmarth Niketan of Rishikesh, hoped that pilgrims would visit the Char Dham in record numbers. 


"Uttarakhand has both 'Switzerland' and spiritual land. The state has Ganga as well as the Himalayas. This land gives inner power, spiritual energy and joy to mankind. That's why people come here. I believe this year will break the record set last year. Credit for this goes to PM Modi and Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami," he said. 


Security at Char Dham


There has been a security grade up in Uttarakhand, as the state is all set to welcome pilgrims coming from various places. To ensure their safety, the Uttarakhand Police has deployed forces separately at all four Dhams.


Talking about the security beefed up in Uttarakhand, the DGP of the state, Abhinav Kumar said, “We have deployed forces separately at all four Dhams, especially during the Yatra."


A seasonal police station is opened at Shree Badrinath Temple and a seasonal police station is opened at both Kedarnath Temple and Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kumar told ANI, adding, "we have also deployed Home Guards separately there. Also, we are making arrangements for CCTV etc."


How to Participate in Char Dham Yatra 2024


To participate in the Char Dham Yatra 2024, registration is mandatory. Since 2014, the registration was made necessary for the pilgrims.


Though the registration can be done through the Tourist Care Uttarakhand app, one can also register offline at various offline centers, such as Haridwar Rahi Hotel, Rishikesh ISBT, Rishikesh Gurdwara, Janki Chatti, Sonprayag, Barkot, Hina (Uttarkashi) Pankhi, Joshimath, Gaurikund, Govind Ghat, Gangotri and Yamunotri. To register through Whatsapp, one needs to send a message “Yatra” to +91 8394833833.


With the QR code received in the registration process, pilgrims get access to information on darshan timings. After the registration process only, people get to know more information about services, such as pooja booking, or helicopter service. If getting stuck with doubts or confusion, people can call 0135 - 1364 or email info.utdb@gmail.com.


Helicopters for ease at Char Dham


To avoid fraud and black market schemes of helicopter services, the commissioner of Garhwal, Vinay Shankar Pandey, has asked the pilgrims to book helicopter tickets for the Char Dham Yatra only through the official website of IRCTC, reported Business Standard. 


Apart from that, the Civil Aviation Department is getting the helicopter services ready from Gauchar to Badrinath with a fee starting from Rs 3,970 excluding GST. Moreover, the IRCTC convenience fee is also to be paid along with GST. 


Other Services at the Yatra 


The VVIP darshan for all the four shrines in the first 15 days of the Yatra has been put to a limit. Moreover, there will be four new high-tech modular and four new mobile modular restrooms. 


Other than that, there are Dharamshalas run by religious organizations or local communities, which offer dormitory-style rooms. They also provide shared facilities of bathrooms and toilets.


A number of guesthouses and lodges are available near the Chardham shrines, which offer simple rooms with private bathrooms. Moreover, there are several hotels, ranging from budget to luxury options which offer comfortable rooms with private bathrooms.


Significance of Char Dham


As per the belief, the Char Dham Yatra washes away sins and opens the gate of heaven and for that every Hindu must go on this pilgrimage once in their lifetime. With Haridwar, the Yatra begins and the very first stop on this pilgrimage is Yamunotri. Next comes Gangotri, followed by Kedarnath. The pilgrimage ends at Badrinath. 


Taking a dip in Yamuna, on the occasion of Bhai Dooj, is considered very sacred and in order to attain salvation, one needs to pray to Goddess Yamuna here at Yamunotri. 


The Gangotri Dham is believed to be the place where King Bhagirath meditated. It is believed that it was his meditation that brought the river Ganga in the region. 


Afterward, comes the Kedarnath Temple, which is also one of the 12 jyotirlinga temples of Lord Shiva in India. With Badrinath Temple, the Chota Char Dham ends. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is also believed to be the place where Adi Shankaracharya attained salvation.