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Char Dham Shrines Break Records with 56 Lakh Pilgrims
20 Oct
Summary
- Char Dham shrines recorded 5.6 million pilgrim visits, surpassing 2023's record.
- Shrines to close between November 10 and 16 for the winter season.
- Badrinath saw the highest footfall, followed by Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.
This year's pilgrimage season at Uttarakhand's revered Char Dham shrines concluded with a record-breaking attendance of 56 lakh devotees. This figure surpasses the previous record of 52 lakh visitors registered in 2023, underscoring the enduring spiritual significance of these holy sites.
The Char Dham shrines are now preparing for their annual winter closure. The temple authorities announced that the shrines will close between November 10 and 16. Gangotri is scheduled to close first on November 10, followed by Yamunotri and Kedarnath on November 11, with Badrinath being the last to close on November 16.
State government statistics reveal that Badrinath attracted the most pilgrims, with 20.6 lakh visits. Kedarnath followed with 17.6 lakh, Gangotri with 9.4 lakh, and Yamunotri with 8.3 lakh. Together, Gangotri and Yamunotri welcomed nearly 17.84 lakh devotees, while Hemkund Sahib also saw a significant footfall of 3.9 lakh.
Following the closure, ceremonial idols of deities will be moved to their winter abodes. The idol of Goddess Ganga will reside in Mukhba village, Goddess Yamuna in Kharsali, and Kedarnath's idol in Ukhimath's Omkareshwar temple. Devotees can continue to offer prayers at Narsingh temple in Joshimath for Lord Badrinath during the winter break. The shrines are expected to reopen next year according to the traditional pilgrimage calendar.
