DEHRADUN: Ahead of the Chardham Yatra 2026, the Uttarakhand government has eased pilgrim regulations by scrapping the daily cap on devotees visiting the shrines, in a move aimed at improving accessibility.
The pilgrimage season will officially begin on April 19 with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. The gates of Kedarnath will open on April 22, followed by Badrinath on April 23 at 6:15 am.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami recently chaired a high-level review meeting where the decision to remove visitor limits was finalised. This policy shift is expected to streamline the influx of devotees, who previously faced strict daily quotas during the peak season.
Simultaneously, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has introduced structural changes to temple rituals. While standard puja fees across committee-managed shrines will see a 5 to 10 per cent hike, the committee is unveiling a premium “Mega Puja Module”.
Priced at approximately Rs 11 lakh, this comprehensive package is designed for high-profile donors and industrialists. “Temple committee expenses are largely met through donations and puja proceeds,” BKTC President Hemant Dwivedi said. “We noticed that prominent devotees often struggle with booking multiple, separate rituals. To ease this process, we are consolidating all major pujas into a single, seamless module.”
Dwivedi noted that the initiative draws inspiration from models successfully implemented at Tirupati Balaji and Vaishno Devi. “This will simplify the experience for those who wish to perform a full spectrum of rituals without the logistical headache of individual bookings,” he added.
By balancing the removal of travel restrictions with modernised temple administration, the state government and the BKTC aim to provide a smoother, more efficient spiritual experience for the millions expected to visit the Devbhoomi this year.