For the first time, registrations for the Chardham Yatra have been made mandatory for all pilgrims

With Chardham Yatra around the corner, the number of online registrations for the same has picked up in the state. Over one lakh registrations have taken place so far for the period between May 3 and 31.

For the first time, registrations for the Chardham Yatra have been made mandatory for all the pilgrims who wish to visit the shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri and Shri Hemkund Sahib. The registration facility is available both online and offline. Those going for advance registration have the option to avail the online facility while those arriving without registration will have to undertake on-the-spot registration at different registration counters on the Chardham routes. However, since the start of the online facility, the number of registrations has been picking up steadily.  

The Chardham Yatra this year begins on May 3 with the opening of Gangotri and Yamunotri dhams. This will be followed by the opening of the portals of Badrinath and Kedarnath Shrines on May 6 and 8, respectively, and Hemkund Sahib on May 22. The total registrations so far have crossed the one-lakh mark. Of these, nearly 16,000 registrations have been confirmed for Yamunotri, a little more than 16,000 for Gangotri, over 41,000 for Kedarnath and nearly 30,000 registrations have been for Badrinath.

Tourism authorities are sharing the data with the concerned districts and police authorities.

A control room has also been set up in Dehradun to provide the pilgrims with the relevant information, and the control room has been reporting an average of 400 to 500 calls per day.

Moreover, this year, for the first time, a vehicle tracking mechanism has also been introduced. Cameras have been installed at various locations on the Chardham routes to keep a track of the vehicular movement. Cameras have been installed at Rishikesh, Badkot, Bhatwari, Joshimath and other routes leading to Chardham. Yatra Mitras have also been deployed at over a hundred kiosks to assist with on-the-spot registration of arriving pilgrims.