Uttarakhand’s Char Dham Yatra to begin in April

After the long winter break of six months, it is time for the annual Char Dham Yatra. Come April, the four shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri in Uttarakhand will be open to the public.

The annual Char Dham Yatra will officially begin on Akshaya Tritiya (April 22). The portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri Dhams will open on this day. The Kedarnath Dham will open to the public on April 25, 6:20 AM. The Badrinath Dham, however, will open on April 27.

Char Dham Yatra, one of the most prominent pilgrimages for Hindus in India, takes place in four holy sites in the mountains of Uttarakhand. The holy yatra starts from Yamunotri in Uttarkashi and moves to Gangotri, also in the same district. The third destination of the tour is the Kedarnath shrine in Rudraprayag district. The final destination is Badrinath in Chamoli district. The Char Dham covers a total distance of 1,607 km.

This year’s Char Dham comes with several challenges. The glaring one being the land sliding issue in Joshimath, the gateway to Badrinath Dham. Recently, Joshimath saw several alarming cracks in and around the town. With fractured roads, houses and agricultural fields, it is evident that the region is in a very fragile state right now.

As per the latest reports, fresh cracks have appeared on the Badrinath Highway, near Joshimath.
For the Char Dham Yatra, the authorities have decided to use the Joshimath route. The Uttarakhand state government reassures pilgrims that the present geological issue will not hamper the Char Dham Yatra.