Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], March 26 : Prajapati Nautiyal, officer on special duty (OSD) for the Char Dham Yatra Administration Organisation, stated that around 2 million commercial and domestic LPG cylinders will be required for hotels, restaurants, and roadside eateries during the Char Dham Yatra, which is set to begin next month.
In an exclusive conversation with ANI, he added that a report regarding this requirement has already been sent to the government.
"Preparations are underway for the successful conduct of the Chardham Yatra 2026. In this context, on the instructions of the Tourism Secretary, we requested data from the districts regarding the number of commercial and domestic gas cylinders used in May and June of the Chardham Yatra of 2025. We received that data yesterday. It has been seen that approximately 16 lakh gas cylinders were used," Nautiyal said.
"We have sent this report to the government, to the Secretary, and he will decide further on whether we will need more gas cylinders than that. Last year, approximately 16 lakh were required. We need to prepare for approximately eighteen to twenty lakh cylinders, and information has been given," he added.
It is noteworthy that during the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand, approximately 2 million commercial and domestic gas cylinders will be needed across seven districts along the pilgrimage route to cater to hotels, restaurants, and dhabas.
Last year, within the first two months of the Yatra, a total of 1,641,149 commercial and domestic gas cylinders were supplied.
Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand, which is set to begin on April 19. The yatra will commence with the opening of the gates at Yamunotri and Gangotri on April 19. The portals of Shri Kedarnath Dham and Shri Badrinath Dham are also set to reopen for devotees on April 22 and April 23, respectively.
With lakhs of devotees expected to undertake the sacred journey this season, ensuring a safe, organised, and hassle-free Char Dham Yatra experience should remain a top priority for the Uttarakhand government.
The annual Char Dham Yatra, which includes pilgrimages to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, is one of the most significant religious journeys in Hinduism.
It is believed that one should complete the Char Dham Yatra in a clockwise direction. Hence, the pilgrimage starts from Yamunotri, proceeds towards Gangotri, onto Kedarnath, and finally ends at Badrinath.
The journey can be completed by road or by air (helicopter services are available). Some devotees even do a Do Dham Yatra or a pilgrimage to two shrines, Kedarnath and Badrinath, as per the Uttarakhand tourism official website.
The Char Dham Yatra, or pilgrimage, is a tour of four holy sites: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. In Hindi, 'char' means four and 'dham' refers to religious destinations, as per the Uttarakhand tourism official website.