Summary:
Dehradun, Mar 31 (PTI) Over a month ahead of the beginning of the Char Dham yatra, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday reviewed preparations for the annual pilgrimage and asked officials to make better use of technology to make the yatra safer and more convenient for pilgrims.
Char Dham Yatra begins on May 3 this year with the opening of the portals of the Yamunotri temple in the Himalayas in the Uttarkashi district.
Large crowds of devotees are expected to throng the Himalayan temples this year as the Covid-led restrictions have been removed.
The COVID-19 pandemic has cast its shadow on the pilgrimage for the last two years with the Himalayan temples opening several months late for devotees amid restrictions like a cap on the number of pilgrims visiting them daily.
The restrictions, however, have been removed now and pilgrim footfalls at the Himalayan shrines are expected to record a substantial rise during the yatra this season, officials said.
Despite the restrictions, over five lakh pilgrims visited Char Dham in 2021.