DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand's revered Char Dham Yatra continues its remarkable momentum, drawing an unprecedented number of pilgrims despite the relentless monsoon season.
Even before July concludes, the pilgrim count has soared past the 40 lakh mark, with over three months of the sacred journey still remaining this year.
The 84-day pilgrimage, which commenced on April 30, has seen Kedarnath Dham emerge as the most frequented, welcoming a staggering 14.19 lakh devotees.
However, the spiritual journey remains fraught with challenges. Heavy rainfall has triggered widespread landslides and debris flow, leading to the closure of 54 roads across the state, including two crucial national highways. This has caused significant inconvenience for both local residents and the scores of pilgrims.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, the Joshimath-Malari-Niti National Highway in Chamoli district is currently blocked near Bhapkund due to a massive rockfall.
The closure even stranded 11 polling parties dispatched from Joshimath for the upcoming Panchayat elections, preventing them from reaching their designated polling stations late into the evening. Similarly, the Ghatiabagarh-Lipulekh-Gunji National Highway in Pithoragarh is impassable near Lamari (Kilometer 11 milestone).
District-wise, road closures include five in Uttarkashi, six in Tehri, seven in Rudraprayag, nine in Pithoragarh, eleven in Pauri, one in Nainital, three in Dehradun, ten in Chamoli, and one each in Almora and Bageshwar.
Despite these formidable hurdles, the pace of the Char Dham Yatra shows no signs of slowing down. "The Char Dham Yatra began on April 30. While the monsoon's onset initially slowed the pace, the pilgrimage has continued robustly despite severe weather challenges," said Yogendra Gangwar, Joint Director of the Yatra Division at the Uttarakhand Tourism Department.
"As of Wednesday, after 85 days of the journey, over 4.06 million pilgrims have visited Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, and Hemkund Sahib," Gangwar added.
Gangwar highlighted the dramatic increase in daily visitors, which has surged from just over 8,000 on July 13 to a remarkable 30,000 now.
Pilgrim Count by Dham (as of Wednesday):
Kedarnath: 1,419,555
Badrinath: 1,189,747
Gangotri: 658,232
Yamunotri: 577,798
Hemkund Sahib: 218,536