Uttarakhand HC lifts cap on pilgrims to Char Dham shrines

Uttarakhand high court on Tuesday lifted the daily limit on the number of pilgrims who can visit Char Dham yatra following the state government’s plea that the limitation should be lifted as the Covid-19 cases have come down significantly in the state.

On September 16, the court had lifted its June 28 stay on Char Dham yatra, paving way for the start of yatra from September 18 to the four revered Himalayan shrines with Covid-19 curbs and capping on the daily pilgrim numbers. The HC had limited the number of daily pilgrims to Char Dhams - 800 for Kedarnath, 1000 for Badrinath, 600 for Gangotri and 400 for Yamunotri.

Dushyant Mainali, one of the petitioners, who is appearing in person in the case, said the counsel of the state government made two pleas before the court.

“First that daily limitation on pilgrim influx to Char Dham shrines should be lifted and second is that mandatory registration for e-passes on the Char Dham Board portal should also be done away with. The court agreed on the first plea and lifted the daily limitation on the pilgrim numbers but declined to entertain the second plea, stressing that through registration, the government can keep a tap on the pilgrims,” he said.

Mainali said the court also directed the state government to increase healthcare facilities on Char Dham routes and shrines.

The case regarding Char Dham yatra is being heard by the HC in a bunch of PILs which have been filed by Sachdanand Dabral, Dushyant Mainali, Anu Pant and Rajendra Arya related to various issues regarding the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic in the state. The matter was heard on Tuesday by a division bench of chief justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Verma.

The Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board has so far issued over 69,600 e-passes to the devotees of other states as per the SOP. According to the Board officials, till Monday over 41,000 people have visited Char Dham shrines

Kedarnath, along with Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri, collectively called Char Dham, attract lakhs of pilgrims each year.

On June 28, the HC had stayed the cabinet decision of the Uttarakhand government to allow Char Dham yatra from July 1 for the locals of the three districts where the four revered Himalayan shrines are located. However, the state government approached the Supreme Court and filed a Special leave petition against the decision, which it later withdrew and again approached the court with a plea that Char Dham yatra should be allowed as Covid-19 cases had come down significantly.

On June 20, the state government had announced the opening of Char Dham yatra in two phases- from July 1, for locals from three districts. Earlier on April 29, the state government had postponed Char Dham yatra, which was scheduled to start on May 14. Following the decision, only portals of these shrines were opened for ritual worship by the local priests. Portals of the Yamunotri shrine were opened on May 14 and that of Gangotri on May 15. The portals of the Kedarnath shrine were opened on May 17, while the portals of Badrinath were opened on May 18.