No VIP darshan at Chardhams till May 31, ban on videography within 50-metre radius of temples
There will be no arrangements for VIP darshan at the Chardhams till May 31.
Offline registration in Haridwar and Rishikesh will remain closed till May 1
Due to the enormous number of pilgrims to the Himalayan temples, the Uttarakhand government decided on Thursday not to permit VIP darshan at the Chardhams—Kedarnath, Yamunotri, Badrinath, and Gangotri—for the remainder of the month.
Chief Secretary Radha Raturi informed her counterparts in other states and Union Territories in a letter that there will be no plans for VIP darshan at the Chardhams till May 31 and that offline registration in Haridwar and Rishikesh will be closed until May 19.
Some pilgrims are recording videos and creating reels on the temple grounds, which leads to crowding in one area and annoyance, according to Raturi.
On May 10, the Chardham Yatra began. Up till Wednesday, 3,34,732 pilgrims from both India and overseas had visited the sites to make prayers during the first six days of the trip.
More than 27 lakh devotees had registered for the yatra as of Thursday night, when registration for it opened on April 25.
A previous letter dated April 30 to the chief secretaries of other states stated that VIP darshan will not be permitted at the temples till May 25.
According to Raturi, yatra registration is required in advance, and pilgrims can only receive a darshan at the dhams on the days specified when they register.
According to the chief secretary, elderly devotees who have a medical history should get tested before starting the yatra and adhere to the directives provided by the Uttarakhand Health Department.