Char Dham yatra sees 26% dip in pilgrim footfall in opening week, officials credit ‘improved planning’ to prevent overcrowding

DEHRADUN: The Char Dham yatra has seen a 26% drop in pilgrim footfall within a week of its start (on April 30), compared to the same period last year. By Tuesday, 2.9 lakh devotees had visited the four Himalayan shrines, down from 3.9 lakh in 2024, a decline of nearly 1 lakh.Officials attributed the dip to "improved planning and staggered registration", which helped streamline the pilgrim flow. To avoid overcrowding during the initial days, the govt opened online registration 40 days before the yatra began, while offline registration started just a few days before the annual pilgrimage commenced.State tourism minister Satpal Maharaj said that following last year's experience, online registration was launched on March 20, well ahead of the start date. Further, Aadhaar verification was made mandatory and documents were "thoroughly checked before pilgrims were allowed to proceed." "We opened more offline booking counters and as a result of proper planning, we were able to prevent overcrowding," said the minister.Commenting on the drop in numbers, Anoop Nautiyal, founder of Doon-based think-tank, SDC Foundation, said, "The decline can be largely attributed to the staggered opening schedule this year. In 2024, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri opened on May 10, while Badrinath opened on May 12. In contrast, this year, Kedarnath opened on May 2, after the portals of Yamunotri and Gangotri opened on April 30, followed by Badrinath on May 4.This has contributed to a slower and more scattered build-up of pilgrim momentum."He added that despite the slow start, the yatra is expected to peak in the latter half of May, based on trends observed last year, when summer vacations begin and more pilgrims arrive. "We urge the govt and all stakeholders to treat this pilgrimage not just as a tourism event, but as a spiritually sacred and environmentally-delicate exercise, one that requires balance, planning, and foresight," Nautiyal said.As of Wednesday, over 25 lakh people had registered for the yatra: 8.7 lakh for Kedarnath, 7.8 lakh for Badrinath, 4.5 lakh for Gangotri, and 4.1 lakh for Yamunotri.Dehradun: The Char Dham yatra has seen a 26% drop in pilgrim footfall within a week of its start (on April 30), compared to the same period last year. By Tuesday, 2.9 lakh devotees had visited the four Himalayan shrines, down from 3.9 lakh in 2024, a decline of nearly 1 lakh.Officials attributed the dip to "improved planning and staggered registration", which helped streamline the pilgrim flow. To avoid overcrowding during the initial days, the govt opened online registration 40 days before the yatra began, while offline registration started just a few days before the annual pilgrimage commenced.State tourism minister Satpal Maharaj said that following last year's experience, online registration was launched on March 20, well ahead of the start date. Further, Aadhaar verification was made mandatory and documents were "thoroughly checked before pilgrims were allowed to proceed." "We opened more offline booking counters and as a result of proper planning, we were able to prevent overcrowding," said the minister.Commenting on the drop in numbers, Anoop Nautiyal, founder of Doon-based think-tank, SDC Foundation, said, "The decline can be largely attributed to the staggered opening schedule this year. In 2024, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri opened on May 10, while Badrinath opened on May 12. In contrast, this year, Kedarnath opened on May 2, after the portals of Yamunotri and Gangotri opened on April 30, followed by Badrinath on May 4.This has contributed to a slower and more scattered build-up of pilgrim momentum."He added that despite the slow start, the yatra is expected to peak in the latter half of May, based on trends observed last year, when summer vacations begin and more pilgrims arrive. "We urge the govt and all stakeholders to treat this pilgrimage not just as a tourism event, but as a spiritually sacred and environmentally-delicate exercise, one that requires balance, planning, and foresight," Nautiyal said.As of Wednesday, over 25 lakh people had registered for the yatra: 8.7 lakh for Kedarnath, 7.8 lakh for Badrinath, 4.5 lakh for Gangotri, and 4.1 lakh for Yamunotri.