Char Dham yatra begins today with opening of Gangotri, Yamunotri

Dehradun: The Char Dham yatra is set to commence Sunday with the opening of the portals of Yamunotri and Gangotri shrines. The Kedarnath shrine will open on April 22, followed by Badrinath on April 23. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is scheduled to attend the portal opening ceremony at Gangotri Dham, officials said.Till Saturday evening, 18.9 lakh pilgrims had registered online for the yatra. Kedarnath had the highest registrations at 6.5 lakh, followed by Badrinath (5.5 lakh), Gangotri (3.3 lakh) and Yamunotri (3.2 lakh). In addition, 4,766 devotees registered offline at booking centres.In keeping with tradition, the ‘dolis’ (palanquins) of goddesses Ganga and Yamuna departed from their winter seats at Mukhba and Kharsali, respectively. On the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya on Sun, the idols will be placed inside the temple premises.Tourism secretary Dhiraaj Singh Garbyal said, “We are anticipating a large turnout this year as well, and our preparations are in place.”District magistrate (Uttarkashi) Prashant Arya said the administration has made all necessary arrangements to ensure a smooth and safe yatra. “Adequate arrangements for traffic, security and health services have been put in place so that devotees do not face any inconvenience,” he said.Meanwhile, snow clearance on the Kedarnath trek route was progressing rapidly, officials said, adding that nearly 90% of the snow had been cleared, with the remaining expected to be removed before the yatra to the shrine begins on April 22. At Badrinath, too, officials were giving final touches to preparations.For pilgrims’ healthcare, 1,350 doctors and paramedics have been deployed along the Char Dham route, with a majority stationed on the Kedarnath and Yamunotri trek routes where pilgrims are required to trek. Additionally, 33 health screening points and 25 medical relief posts have been set up.