Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed the arrangements for the Char Dham Yatra in Dehradun on Thursday. State Chief Secretary Radha Raturi announced that, following the directives of CM Dhami, shooting videos or making reels within a 50-meter radius of the temple premises is now prohibited to respect the religious sentiments of devotees.
Radha Raturi stated, “Chief Minister held a detailed review of the arrangements of Char Dham, in Dehradun today. He has given directions that nobody will shoot videos or make reels in the 50-metre radius of the temple premises. This is hurting the religious sentiments of devotees. So, to maintain the sanctity of the temple and respect the devotees, those going there won’t be allowed to shoot videos or make reels in the 50-metre radius of the temple premises. There is no prohibition on carrying mobile phones. You can use it but nobody will be allowed to shoot videos or make reels.”
She also mentioned that numerous incidents have surfaced where individuals are dancing and playing music, which is offensive to the religious sentiments of devotees.
Over 26 lakh devotees from across the country and abroad have registered for the ongoing Char Dham Yatra.
“Char Dham Yatra is going on in the state. So far, 26.73 lakh devotees have registered for the Char Dham Yatra… More than 1.42 lakh offline registrations have been done in Haridwar and Rishikesh counters. This time double the number of devotees are coming as compared to last year,” said Vinay Shankar Pandey, Commissioner of Garhwal Division.
Since the doors of Shri Kedarnath Dham opened on May 10, over one lakh devotees have visited Kedarnath. A total of 2,76,416 devotees have participated in the Char Dham Yatra so far.
In just four days, 1,26,306 devotees have set a new record by visiting Kedarnath. All three dhams—Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri—are bustling with activity.
The Char Dham Yatra commenced in Uttarakhand on May 10.
The Char Dham Yatra holds deep spiritual significance in Hinduism, typically taking place from April-May to October-November.
The traditional route for the Char Dham Yatra is in a clockwise direction, starting from Yamunotri, moving to Gangotri, then Kedarnath, and finally Badrinath. This journey can be undertaken by road or by air, with helicopter services available.
Some devotees opt for a Do Dham Yatra, visiting two shrines—Kedarnath and Badrinath—as noted on the Uttarakhand tourism official website.
The Char Dham Yatra, a pilgrimage to four holy sites—Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath—derives its name from the Hindi words ‘char’ meaning four and ‘dham’ referring to religious destinations, according to the Uttarakhand tourism official website.