Uttarakhand fully prepared for Char Dham Yatra 2025: Minister Satpal Maharaj

Uttarakhand Minister Satpal Maharaj on Friday affirmed the state's readiness for the upcoming Char Dham Yatra.

“We are prepared for the Char Dham Yatra. The portals of the Yamunotri Temple and the Gangotri Temple will open on April 30. Kedarnath Temple and Badrinath Temple will open to the public on May 2nd and May 4th, respectively. Hemkund Sahib gurdwara will open for the public on 25th May. We have allocated over Rs 12 crores for the districts under which the Char Dham temples fall. So far, we have registered 5,51,745 devotees for the Kedarnath temple and 4,84,480 devotees for the Badrinath temple. Till now, total registration of devotees for Char Dham Yatra stands at 16,19,190,” he said.

According to the Uttarakhand government, the Char Dham Yatra 2025 is all set to begin on April 30, aligning with the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. “So far, a total of 17,76,058 people have registered for the journey. The Char Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand is starting on the 30th of this month with the auspicious festival of Akshaya Tritiya,” the state government noted.

Earlier, on March 30, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted a review of the preparations for the Yatra and assured that the government is taking swift and proactive steps to ensure a smooth and successful pilgrimage for all devotees.

The Char Dham Yatra, also referred to as the Chota Char Dham Yatra, is a revered pilgrimage to four sacred sites nestled in the Himalayas—Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. In Hindi, ‘char’ means four and ‘dham’ refers to holy places. Tradition dictates that the yatra be completed in a clockwise direction, starting from Yamunotri, then to Gangotri, followed by Kedarnath, and finally concluding at Badrinath.

Pilgrims can undertake the journey via road or opt for air travel, with helicopter services available for convenience. Additionally, some devotees choose to embark on a Do Dham Yatra, which includes visits to two of the four shrines—typically Kedarnath and Badrinath.