Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 22 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the safety of Char Dham pilgrims is the Uttarakhand government's top priority.
According to a press release, all necessary arrangements have been made at the four shrines and along the pilgrimage route to ensure the safety and convenience of devotees. The yatra is continuing smoothly, although it is being regulated whenever weather conditions deteriorate.
District Magistrates of all districts associated with the pilgrimage are also closely monitoring the arrangements.
Despite the challenging monsoon conditions in Uttarakhand, the Char Dham Yatra is continuing uninterrupted. In just 125 days of the current pilgrimage season, the number of devotees has crossed 4.8 million, which is 522,634 higher than the corresponding period last year.
As per the release, the Yamunotri pilgrimage has also set a new record, with the number of devotees crossing 668,000 for the first time. In 2025, a total of 644,637 devotees had visited the shrine for the darshan of Maa Yamuna.
Under the efficient management of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Char Dham Yatra has been setting new records every year. Keeping the monsoon season in view, the pilgrimage is being conducted with utmost caution and constant monitoring.
The Disaster Management Departments in Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts have been kept on alert round the clock. On the Chief Minister's instructions, all necessary measures have been taken with the safety of pilgrims as the top priority.
The administration has also issued special advisories for pilgrims in view of changing weather conditions, but faith continues to remain strong despite the weather challenges, said the release.
The Char Dham Yatra began this year with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri on April 19. As of Friday, August 21, a total of 4,804,897 devotees had visited the four shrines during the 125-day pilgrimage period. During the corresponding period in 2025, the number stood at 4,282,263.
This year, therefore, 522,634 more devotees have undertaken the Char Dham Yatra compared to last year.
Looking at the total number of devotees at the four shrines so far, 1,654,263 pilgrims have visited Badrinath, 1,465,370 have visited Kedarnath, 747,671 have visited Gangotri and 668,163 have visited Yamunotri. In addition, 269,430 devotees have paid obeisance at Hemkund Sahib.
There is tremendous enthusiasm among devotees for the darshan of Lord Badri Vishal, with Badrinath alone witnessing an increase of 362,304 pilgrims compared to last year.