Dehradun: The Chardham Yatra was banned amidst discussions about the Kumbh organized in Haridwar being called a super spreader in terms of Covid infection, but now it can be resumed in view of the circumstances of the corona outbreak. According to officials, the Chardham Yatra to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri can be opened for select districts, where the conditions related to Covid will be found better. Earlier this year, this pilgrimage of devotees was stopped and only priests were allowed to perform activities related to worship.
Quoting Ravinath Raman, chairman of the Char Dham Devasthanam board along with the commissioner of Garhwal, the TNIE news said that the epidemic-related conditions are being monitored and a decision will be taken after the board meeting in the second week of June. Whether to start the journey or not. ‘We are not hurrying, but looking at what can happen.’
Uttarakhand Tourism said After reviewing the Covid, a decision will be taken regarding the Char Dham Yatra.
How can the journeys begin?
According to Raman, in view of the corona-related conditions, it may be possible that the pilgrimage can be allowed only for the people of the district in which the Dham is located or the devotees of the villages adjoining that pilgrimage. But all this will be decided only when there is a belief that the infection is reducing. Earlier in the month of May itself, the High Court of Uttarakhand had said on organizing Kumbh and Char Dham Yatra that the state should take a lesson from its mistakes, but the state is becoming a victim of irony. In Asl, some BJP leaders, including a minister of the state government, went on a pilgrimage despite the ban.
What are the past figures saying?
According to the report, last year, this journey started on 1 July only for the people of the state and for the devotees outside Uttarakhand in the last week of July. Since there was a wave of corona infection last year also, in 2020 4.2 lakh people had come on this pilgrimage but in 2019 38 lakh people did this pilgrimage.
