Chardham yatra not to start till June 30 but locals can visit in limited numbers
The Chardham Devasthanam Board issued an order on Tuesday, putting off the Chardham yatra until June 30 but allowed locals to visit the four Himalayan temples in limited numbers and with permits from the district administration.
The daily limit on the number of local devotees allowed to visit Badrinath is 1,200, the order issued by Chardham Devasthanam Board CEO Ravinath Raman said. Similarly, the daily limit was 800 for Kedarnath, 600 for Gangotri and 400 for Yamunotri, it said.
People who own hotels and guest houses near the temples can go to these facilities in minimum numbers but they will have to strictly follow the standard operation procedure issued along with the order, it added.
However, in concurrence with the views of the priests, stakeholders and hak-hakookdharis of the temples, it has been decided not to start the chardham yatra till June 30, Raman said.
The Uttarakhand government had initially planned to open the famous temples for devotees on a limited scale, along with the rest of the temples in the state, but the priests, hak-hakookdharis and other stakeholders put their foot down, opposing the move for safety reasons.
A decision on the chardham yatra will be taken after June 30, the Devasthanam Board CEO said.
