The high court 🏫on Thursday, the Uttarakhand government on Friday evening issued the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the Char Dham Yatra.🏔🏔
Paving the way for the commencement of the pilgrimage to the Himalayan🗻🏔 shrines of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath from Saturday morning.
For devotees coming to Uttarakhand 15 days after receiving a double dose of vaccination, the vaccination certificate has been made mandatory.
In case a pilgrim has not been administered the first or the second dose, a RT-PCR 🏥🏥negative report (within 72 hours of arrival) would be required for the visit to the four revered shrines. However, for the states of Kerala, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh – where there has been an increase in the number of Covid cases in the last few weeks, only those devotees who have completed 15 days after double dose vaccination and also have a RT-PCR negative report, would be permitted.
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told TOI, “Char Dham Yatra 🌎🌎forms the financial backbone of many families who are dependent on the annual pilgrimage. We will ensure that everyone follows the Covid protocols and directives given by the high court.”
According to the HC directives, a daily limit of 1,000 pilgrims has been fixed for Badrinath, 800 for Kedarnath, 600 for Gangotri and 400 for Yamunotri.
While three devotees have been allowed in the sanctum sanctorum of Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri at a given time, five pilgrims have been allowed at Kedarnath as it has a larger area in the sanctum sanctorum compared to the other temples. As per the SOP, a six feet distance would be required to be maintained among all the devotees standing in queue or entering or leaving the temple.
All pilgrims would be required to register themselves at the Smart City🌇🌇 portal and thereafter take an e-pass for the pilgrimage. The e-pass would be valid for a period of two days.
According to the SOP, bath in the “kunds”(hot water enclosures) near the temples is not permissible and pilgrims cannot stay more than a single night at a dham.
For ensuring compliance to guidelines, a state-level monitoring cell would be set up in
Dehradun🌁🌁
. Monitoring cells would also be set up in districts housing the four shrines. All the data related to the pilgrims would be compiled at the district level.
The Char Dham Yatra 🌅attracts lakhs of tourists and devotees every year from across the country and abroad.
The four pilgrimage sites in Uttarakhand which are part of the yatra are Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri.
