E-Paper
Uttarakhand residents will be allowed to visit Char Dham shrines from July 1
Under the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board’s SOP anyone staying in a containment zone or buffer zone will not be allowed to enter any of the shrine premises. Anyone with symptoms similar to Covid-19 will not be allowed to undertake the yatra.
Almost a month after allowing only locals from nearby the Char Dham shrines to visit the temples, the Uttarakhand government on Monday decided to allow pilgrims from all the districts in the state to visit the shrines from July 1.
Ravinath Raman, chief executive officer of Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board said that people from across the state will be allowed to visit the shrines following certain guidelines. However, anyone staying in a containment zone or buffer zone will not be allowed to enter any of the shrine premises. Anyone with symptoms similar to Covid-19 will not be allowed to undertake the yatra.
“The residents of Uttarakhand are being permitted to visit the shrines right now, but again they all have to follow the guidelines and standard operating procedures issued by the state and Central government so far. There might be people who are residents of Uttarakhand but have travelled from outside the state and they are supposed to observe the mandatory quarantine period,” said Raman.
He said that those who want to visit the shrines will first have to get themselves enrolled on the website of the Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board, https://badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in.
“After enrolment, those who want to visit the shrine will have to give a self-declaration, details like when they would start the yatra, submit an address and photo ID proof. After this an auto-generated e-pass will be given which the pilgrims should carry with themselves along with the address and photo ID proof submitted earlier, only then will police and respective district administration allow them to enter,” added Raman. The pass will be valid for two-days.
The guidelines further mention that pilgrims will be allowed an overnight stay of only one night in the area where the shrine is situated, However, in the condition of a disaster, roadblock or health concern the time period can be increased. People who own or work at restaurants, hotels, guest houses near the shrine premises can take special permission from the district administration and stay for longer periods.
Those above 65 years of age and below 10 years of age will not be allowed to undertake yatra. It is mandatory to wear masks, use hand sanitiser and follow social distancing in the shrine premises. Keeping in view the health safety concerns of the priests and others working at the shrines, pilgrims will not be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the shrines.
Pilgrims will mandatorily have to wash their hands and feet before entering the shrine and any offering brought from outside the shrine will not be allowed. Pilgrims have also been advised to not touch any idol while visiting the temples.
In an order on June 9, the state government had capped the number of pilgrims allowed at the shrines till June 30 to a maximum of 1,200 pilgrims per day for Badrinath, 800 for Kedarnath, 600 for Gangotri and 400 for the Yamunotri shrine.
