Char Dham Yatra

• 16 May 2024

Why in News?

Recently, the alarming scenes of a massive turnout at Yamunotri and long traffic blockades on the Kedarnath and Badrinath routes have forced the government to prioritize short-term and long-term solutions for the Char Dham yatra.

Key Points

• The Char-Dham yatra in Uttarakhand consists of visiting four temples, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.
• It holds profound spiritual significance in Hinduism. This journey typically occurs from April/May to October/November.
• The state is planning to create a "Dharmik Yatra Authority" that would regulate not only Char Dham yatra but also other pilgrimages like the Kanwar yatra.
• The authority will take a call on all issues, like deciding the number of daily pilgrims, routes, health, and security deployments, and all other arrangements.
• Uttarakhand is considering adopting the regulatory body for religious events similar to the one in Uttar Pradesh and will study its model before implementation.

Char Dham Yatra

• Yamunotri Dham:
  • Location: Uttarkashi district.
  • Dedicated to: Goddess Yamuna.
  • River Yamuna is the second-most sacred river in India after River Ganga.
• Gangotri Dham:
  • Location: Uttarkashi district.
  • Dedicated to: Goddess Ganga.
  • Considered the most sacred of all Indian rivers.
• Kedarnath Dham:
  • Location: Rudraprayag district.
  • Dedicated to: Lord Shiva.
  • Situated on the bank of the Mandakini River.
  • One of the 12 Jyotirlingas (divine representations of Lord Shiva) in India.
• Badrinath Dham:
  • Location: Chamoli district.
  • Home to the sacred Badrinarayan Temple.
  • Dedicated to: Lord Vishnu.
  • One of the holy shrines for Vaishnavites.