Char Dham Yatra to commence on May 3, Uttarakhand sets daily limit for pilgrims

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday said that the doors of "Yamunotri Dham" dedicated to Goddess Yamuna will open on May 3. The Uttarakhand government has capped the daily limit on the number of pilgrims visiting the famous Himalayan shrines in the state, especially Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath during the Char Dham Yatra.

Taking to Twitter, he wrote, "May 03, the doors of "Yamunotri Dham" dedicated to Goddess Yamuna will open on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. I wish all of you devotees a devotional, smooth and pleasant Chardham Yatra. #ChardhamYatra2022"Notably, Yamunotri is a part of Char Dham (along with Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath), the four most revered Hindu pilgrimages in the Himalayas.

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The daily limit imposed on the number of pilgrims is 15,000 for Badrinath, 12,000 for Kedarnath, 7,000 for Gangotri and 4,000 for Yamunotri. The restriction has been put in place considering that a record number of pilgrims are likely to turn up this year with the Covid-induced restrictions no longer in force. 

Yamunotri Dham attracts thousands of devotees every year and is the commencing point of the Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage, which proceeds from Yamunotri to Gangotri and finally to Kedarnath and Badrinath.

This temple is dedicated to the Yamuna, the second-most sacred river after the Ganga, as per Hindu beliefs.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)