- By Akansha Pandey
- Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:09 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand is once again scaling new heights. Despite rain and snowfall, the enthusiasm among the pilgrims remains immense. The Kedarnath Yatra, an epitome of faith and devotion, broke last year's record on Wednesday, crossing the figure of 1.656 million pilgrims.
There are still 15 days remaining before the portals of the shrine close for the winter, so this number is certain to increase further. Last year, a total of 1,652,076 devotees had visited Baba Kedar during the entire yatra season.
On Wednesday, 5,614 devotees offered prayers at the Kedarnath shrine. The portals of Kedarnath will close on October 23 on the occasion of Bhaiya Dooj. The yatra will continue for another 15 days. Meanwhile, the number of pilgrims has also increased at the Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri shrines.
The government has made concrete arrangements to ensure a safe Char Dham Yatra. Security personnel have been deployed along the route, and to maintain smooth traffic flow, JCB machines have been stationed at landslide-prone sensitive locations for quick debris clearance.
Notably, this year's Char Dham Yatra commenced on April 30 with the opening of the portals of the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines. Subsequently, the portals of Kedarnath opened on May 2, and Badrinath on May 4. The yatra was severely affected during the monsoon season due to incidents of heavy rainfall, cloudbursts, and landslides. In a natural disaster, Dharali, a crucial stop on the Gangotri route, was completely devastated. The pilgrimage to Gangotri and Yamunotri had to be halted at that time due to the destruction of the route.
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Restoring the yatra after the rainy season was a major challenge, but the government and administration teams worked on a war footing to make the routes operational again. As a result, the pilgrimage to both shrines resumed with necessary security arrangements. The administration continues to advise pilgrims to exercise caution and is repeatedly warning them to avoid traveling in adverse weather conditions.