Char Dham sees surge in visitors as preparations start for winter pilgrimage

In 2024, a total of 46.69 lakh pilgrims undertook the yatra. This year, the number rose to 51,06,346. Over 5.1 lakh vehicles reached the fragile regions of the four sites.

Hemkund Sahib, a Sikh pilgrimage centre, also saw an unprecedented number of visitors, with 2.74 lakh devotees visiting this year. In 2024, the shrine received 1.85 lakh visitors and in 2023, the number was 1.64 lakh.

A total of 182 people have died undertaking the pilgrimage this year.

Winter pilgrimage prep begins

With the closure of the portals of Badrinath, preparations for the winter pilgrimage have commenced. The presiding deity will be worshipped at Pandukeshwar and the Narsingh Temple in Joshimath. The winter worship of Kedarnath will take place at Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, of Ganga (Gangotri) at Mukhba, and of Yamuna (Yamunotri) at Kharsali.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that despite a year full of challenges, more pilgrims visited the Char Dham this year compared to last year.

“Ensuring the safety of pilgrims has always been our top priority. To this end, we improved the yatra routes and set up health centres at the shrines. After the redevelopment work in Kedarnath under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream project, pilgrim facilities have improved significantly. The pedestrian route has been upgraded. Shri Badrinath Dham is being developed as per the master plan. For the winter yatra as well, we are giving special focus to enhancing facilities and safety for pilgrims,” he said.

This year’s pilgrimage season witnessed several extreme weather events, including floods and debris slides, as well as two helicopter crashes. On August 5, one of the worst floods in recent years struck Dharali, on the way to Gangotri, killing at least 69 people. Though pilgrims were largely unaffected, thousands were stranded in the shrine for days after roads were swept away. Moreover, on May 8, six people died when their helicopter crashed in Uttarkashi, and on June 15, a helicopter ferrying pilgrims from Kedarnath temple crashed near Guptkashi, killing all seven people on board, including the pilot and a two-year-old child.