E-Paper
Covid-19 test, jab certificate not mandatory for Char Dham yatra
As per the state government instructions, the pilgrims coming to Uttarakhand for Char Dham yatra will not need to undergo Covid-19 test or produce vaccination certificate
As per the state government instructions, the pilgrims coming to Uttarakhand for Char Dham yatra will not need to undergo Covid-19 test or produce vaccination certificate.
Uttarakhand government has cleared the confusion regarding the requirement of a Covid-19 test for travellers and pilgrims coming to the state for the yatra. On the directions of chief minister (CM) Pushkar Singh Dhami, chief secretary SS Sandhu instructed the concerned officials that to successfully conduct the Char Dham yatra, Covid-19 testing and vaccination certificate won’t be mandatory.
He said this is being done to avoid any inconvenience to the tourists and devotees coming to the state. It is however mandatory for all the travellers and devotees to register for Char Dham Yatra on the portal operated by the tourism department, Sandhu said.
Following the directions by the CM, the chief secretary also held a meeting with the concerned officers on Friday evening to clear the confusion regarding the status of the Covid test of the travellers coming from outside to Uttarakhand.
The chief secretary also reviewed the preparations for the upcoming Char Dham yatra. The meeting was attended by the district magistrates of all the districts related to the yatra, including health, tourism, transport secretaries, director general of police, chief executive officer, Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee and other senior officers.
Harish Gaur, media in-charge Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee said Char Dham yatra begins on May 3, on the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya with the opening of portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines. “The portals of Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines will open on May 6 and 8 respectively, while the portals of Hemkund Sahib in Chamoli district will open on May 22,” he said.
A control room has also been set up in Dehradun which is providing all relevant information to the pilgrims. Toll-free no 1364 and helpline numbers 0135-1364, 0135-2559898, 0135-2552627 and 0135-3520100 have also been released for the purpose.
Last year over 4.14 lakh pilgrims visited Char Dham shrines, while in 2020, 3.1 lakh pilgrims had come for the yatra. In 2019, over 32.40 lakh pilgrims visited Char Dham shrines.
The four Himalayan pilgrimage sites Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath- collectively called Char Dham, located in Garhwal Himalayas, are one of the most revered pilgrimages in the Hindu tradition and attract lakhs of pilgrims each year.
Traditionally, the Char Dham pilgrimage begins from the west from Yamunotri, then proceeding to Gangotri and finally to Kedarnath and Badrinath in the east. Kedarnath shrine is located in Rudraprayag district, while Badrinath is in Chamoli district. Yamunotri and Gangotri shrines are located in Uttarkashi district.
