Uttarakhand HC Lifts Ban On Chardham Yatra, Issues SOPs For Devotees

Uttarakhand High Court has lifted the ban on Chardham Yatra but asked directed devotees and organisers to follow Covid protocols.

The Char Dham Yatra encompasses the four sacred pilgrimages of Uttarakhand - Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.

New Delhi: Uttarakhand High Court has lifted the ban on Chardham Yatra with some restrictions keeping in view of the third wave and the present decline in Covid cases.

The bench has allowed 800 devotees or yatris in Kedarnath Dham, 1200 in Badrinath Dham, 600 in Gangotri, 400 in Yamunotri Dham in a day, as confirmed by the news agency ANI.

The court has asked every devotee or traveler to carry a covid negative report and fully vaccinated certificate. The Court has also instructed to deploy police forces where Chardham Yatra will be held. 

Heavy security will be present at the Chamoli, Rudraprayag, and Uttarkashi districts according to the court's order. Devotees will not be able to perform 'shahi snan' in any of the pools.

The Char Dham Yatra encompasses the four sacred pilgrimages of Uttarakhand - Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. All four sites fall in the Garhwal region of the state.

The pilgrimage could not be organised last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While the second wave of the Covid-19 was subsiding when the Uttarakhand High Court ordered a stay on Char Dham Yatra, it said that there was a lack of coronavirus-related health facilities in the Char Dham districts. The court also feared that if the pilgrimage was allowed to take place, it may prove to be an invitation for the third wave.

Several other pilgrimages have also been restricted due to Covid-19. The Uttarakhand government itself had banned Kanwar Yatra in July this year.